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Candidates

Time to Spring Clean your Profile

31 March 2021

With the sun shining and the temperatures rising, now is the traditional time to clean and organise for the coming year, including your job searching profile. The job market is picking up as budgets are approved for the new financial year and the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions should lead to even more possibilities for a role change in the coming months, so it’s important to be ready.

Here are some simple tips to polish up your job applications:

Your CV

 Check that your CV is up to date and covers everything you’ve done up to now. Remember, that your CV should be tailored to the role each time you apply for a job – making sure you’re emphasising the skills specified in the job advertisement – but you can get the basics right now.  It helps to update your LinkedIn profile the same way, as recruiters often check this when candidates interest them.

Make sure your CV and profile are up to date on our website so we can contact you with the best opportunities!

CV tips for service leavers

Your Cover Letter

Take a new look at your cover letter; this also needs to be specific, and to tell a story of how you’ve progressed thorough your career as well as showing how well you fit the company´s requirements. Use your career story to help build your personal brand and showcase your skills. Add in anything you see as a personal highlight or major achievement. If you’ve picked up new skills during lockdown, add these in – it shows real determination!

Creating your ideal cover letter 

Your Processes

If you’ve been seeking a new opportunity for a while, take a look back over the past year – what’s worked well and led to an interview and what hasn’t. If you were able to get feedback, this will be really helpful. Make an action plan to improve the things that didn’t quite work; perhaps by blocking out time in your diary to tailor your CV to a role, reading through some of our previous guidance to see what you can change, or making time to reach out to your network on LinkedIn.

Your Network

 Job leads and learning opportunities are often found through getting yourself out there and meeting people, or keeping in touch with previous contacts. You’ll find business networks in your local area that are often worth joining – these are a great source of opportunities and contacts as well as a chance to socialise and meet like-minded people. Social networks are a great way to do this online but hopefully, actual meetings will become more common this year too.

Lastly, check your social networks that are visible – make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date and portrays you in the best light. For other networks, check your privacy settings and, if a potential employer can see your posts and images, make sure they’re painting you in the best possible light.

Remember, we’re always here to help if you need us!

 

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