How to Secure That Interview....

I have had many a candidate contact me of late, frustrated by the lack of interviews they are getting from applications.  These are great candidates, lots of experience, a huge amount to offer any business.  So what’s the problem?

I know that the blame is often laid at the door of recruitment companies or HR, but to speak candidly, if you are continuously failing to get interviews it’s really important to look at the one common denominator – you.

The first mistake that people make is having one CV that they send out for all applications.  This would be ok if we lived in a world where you were guaranteed that the person / system doing the screening understands your profession.  But sadly this is not the case.  It is VITAL that you are aware of this and make changes accordingly.   So let’s look at this more closely.

You get a job advert through for a Service Delivery Manager.  It looks perfect and matches your skill sets exactly.  You send your CV but don’t hear a thing.  Why is this?  Your CV has your job title of Customer Logistics Manager.  Now if you work in the industry, you will know that these two titles essentially mean the same thing.  However, if you are a HR Manager who recruits very infrequently in this area, then this is very possibly something that you won’t have an understanding of.  The “Customer Logistics Manager” CV then gets put in the reject pile.

This problem is further exacerbated if the company you are applying to uses an IT system to screen CVs.  In most cases, key words are inputted to the system and it then searches the CVs for those words.  The CVs that contain them go through to the Manager, the ones that don’t are overlooked.  This is a huge pitfall in supply chain, logistics and purchasing in particular as the language is so fluid and changes dramatically from company to company.

So what’s the solution?

It may sound laborious but it is of vital importance that you tailor your CV to each job vacancy.

Analyse the job advert and use the same language within it on your CV.  If you are a Vendor Planning Specialist but going for a job as a Supply Planner, change your job title.  I don’t condone lying on a CV but when the two things are essentially the same, then changing the words to describe what you do is absolutely fine and will facilitate you getting that job interview.

So what else can we do to improve our chances of getting in front of potential employers? 

Opening Statement

To be quite honest, I do not tend to read the opening paragraph on the CVs I get.  It’s the place where all the clichés come out.  “I work well on my own or as part of a team”, “I am honest and hardworking”, “ambitious and dynamic”.  It would be refreshing to read “I don’t really like a lot of people and don’t bother trying to get hold of me at 10:30am every day as I will be listening to Pop Master with Ken Bruce on Radio 2.” How refreshingly honest would that be?!

My biggest piece of advice when formulating an opening statement is to apply what I call the “So What?” method to what you write.

“I am honest and hardworking”.  So what?  Does this statement add any real value to your application?  Does it differentiate you from the 50 other applicants?  I can tell you that around 90% of CVs have this kind of statement on them, so this sort of sentence has little to no impact whatsoever.

When you are writing your statement, refer once again to the job advert.  Make a headline statement that sums you up and leaves your audience in no doubt of your relevance for the role, making them want to read on.

“A Logistics leader with experience in multi-site distribution with a focus on WMS implementation” is going to make far more impact than “I am a hardworking individual with a great work ethic”

Work Experience

I always suggest to my candidates then when you write a CV, you should try to put yourself in the shoes of the person who is going to be reading it.  Remember they don’t know you, they probably have at least 40 other CV’s to go through, and let’s face it, reading CVs is hardly the most inspiring of things to do.  So help them out.  Make sure that what you are writing paints a vivid picture of not only what you do, but how well you do it,

Again, I strongly advise you apply the “So What” method to everything you write to ensure the content is meaningful and paints a clear picture of who you are.  I suggest using bullet points and make each point as concise as possible.

Always back up your “what you do” with “how well you do it”.  Have a list of achievements and make them as numbers driven as possible. 

• Saved 20% through sourcing new suppliers
• Improved OTIF from 92% to 98% through improved transport routes
• Increased efficiency by 25% through implementation of new MRP system.

Figures allow your audience to build a picture of you and gives them confidence that you are somebody that they will want to see.

This may sound obvious, but if the job specification is asking for a particular skill, make sure that you put it on the CV.  Don’t assume that your audience will take as read that because of your job title or background that you will have a certain skill set.  CVs are negative tools in that the reader is looking for what you DON’T have to sift you out of the process in order to create a shortlist.  Always err on side of caution and state the obvious.  What is obvious to you as the industry professional is not always obvious to the person reading the CV.

If you have had a number of contract roles then make sure you state that they were temporary contracts.  I advise that you put this next to the dates of employment so it jumps off the page.  If your audience sees you have had a multitude of roles over short periods of time, alarm bells will sound that there could be an issue.  If you label the temporary roles accordingly, and / or reason for leaving, it will reduce the likelihood of them dismissing your CV before they have even read it properly.

Most people skim read CV’s (I know I do).  So you need to make sure you grab their attention with impactful statements, numbers and achievements.  Make them want to read it properly.  This should be the goal you have in your mind when putting the CV together.

Please ensure that the role you are applying for is actually relevant to your skill sets.  Again this may sound so obvious, but trust me when I say that 60% of the applications I receive through job boards and LinkedIn have little to no relevance to the vacancy.  It is so easy to apply for jobs these days but the pitfall of this is that you can be tempted to take a punt on roles which you are not qualified to do.  This can damage your personal brand immensely, reducing your credibility. 

Finally, I would always caution people to tread with care when placing your CV on job boards.  Your CV is your own personal and confidential information.  It is your marketing tool to assist you advance your career.  In the wrong hands it can do the opposite.  By placing your CV on job boards you open yourself up to the risk of the more unscrupulous recruiter taking it and using it in such a way that could damage your brand – for example sending it out to multiple companies without your permission.

If you follow this advice you should start seeing an increase in the number of interviews you are invited to.  Next week I will talk about the interview process and how to maximise your chances of getting that job!

I am a prolific blogger on the subject of strategic recruitment.  For more of my articles please visit our website www.jps-supplychain/blog