In a competitive environment, how can you ensure that recruiters allocate more of their time to your job search?

Try following these ten tips:

1. When a recruiter calls you at a busy time, politely explain this and avoid sounding rude.
2. When applying for a role, send a concise email rather than attaching a lengthy cover letter.
3. Always check your spelling and grammar. Avoid mistakes and abbreviations such as “you’re vacancy”, “12pm” and “i would like to spk to u.”
4. Ensure your CV is no more than three pages long and do not include irrelevant details such as your children’s names, religion etc.
5. Identify who specialises in recruitment in your industry and commit to a limited time period in which you will work exclusively with that recruiter.
6. When you meet a recruiter, always turn up on time and ensure that your mobile phone is switched off to convey respect.
7. Always tell the truth, especially about your salary and employment dates.
8. Remember to be respectful about your current or previous employer. You may not see eye to eye but avoid sounding bitter.
9. If you are not interested in a specific role, please say so and explain your reasons. This will give your recruiter better insight into your motivations and what kind of job you are looking for.
10. If an interview with an employer has been arranged for you and you cannot attend, always remember to inform the recruiter as soon as possible.

Following the above will improve your relationship with your recruiter and give you a significant advantage over other, less professional applicants.

job search, job seeker, recruiter, relationship with recruiter, standing out from the crowd

How much can you put up with at work? Do you want to make a move but can’t decide when to leave?

In the TV show Entourage, Lloyd Lee is Hollywood super agent Ari Gold’s perennial ‘whipping boy’. If you’ve followed the show, you will know that Lloyd puts up with a constant stream of abuse and bad treatment from Ari from season to season.

During Season 6 of Entourage, Adam Davies, an ex-colleague of both Ari and Lloyd becomes a partner at a rival agency. Lloyd has been pushing and begging Ari for a promotion from his PA position to become an agent, without any joy, until Adam steps in to offer him an agent position at triple (!) his current salary.

Would you stay or would you go? Let’s now christen the ‘Lloyd Lee’ zone. Lloyd is in a horrible situation; he is visibly unhappy, stuck in a rut, and despite all that he has gone through, he still does NOT accept the offer immediately. He is clearly trapped in the ‘Lloyd Lee’ zone where he is not confident or open-minded enough to consider making a move even with an extremely attractive job offer.

It is important that you keep up to date with what’s happening in your industry and evaluate your market value against your peers. If you do receive a call from a head-hunter, I’d advise you to keep an open mind and don’t fall into the ‘Lloyd Lee zone’. You may well be very happy in your role, however take it as a compliment that you’ve been identified as standing out from the crowd.  Build a relationship with a recruiter that you can trust, who has strong market knowledge and contacts, and can provide career advice and opportunities. Don’t wait until it’s too late to consider a move – you don’t want to be miserable at work, life is too short.

If you would like to talk to a Morgan McKinley consultant about your career or your market value, feel free to contact us. You can find our contact details on this page or on the Morgan McKinley Hong Kong website.

Until next time!

Entourage, job offer, Lloyd Lee, miserable at work, recruiter