However, when looking closely at these advertisements it is clear to see that what they want is unrealistic. Many of the listed “essential” skills, on deeper reflection, are really only desirable. Yet we find these advertisements pointing out things that demand immediate useability and transferability.

Couple this with the price set to attract that perfect candidate and this is where the real danger begins. Let’s be honest with ourselves- If a candidate meets one hundred per cent of the advertisement’ s selection criteria that candidate is ALREADY over-qualified and under-paid before they begin. That person won’t stay, as they will either get bored quickly or they know that they deserve more money. Period.

Recruiters and employers are unrealistic when they pose questions about short and long term goals and candidates’ intentions to stay. The irrelevance is explicit, yet these types of questions will be asked and candidates will lie or say something non-offensive to stay on-side with interviewers.

I sincerely recognise and appreciate, as a recruiter or employer, it is important to seek safeguards to mitigate risks associated with choosing the wrong candidate. Most of the time, we seek to address these risks by choosing candidates who appear “safe.”

The definition of safe is all about choosing candidates who can present the most immediate guarantees- these candidates will need to immediately perform the required tasks to fill explicit gaps in the business.  Such candidates may come from a similar industry; have the right perceived look, background and culture; and have qualifications that are immediately related to the job. It’s safe to assume these candidates can do the job, however, they represent the greater risk, as they are already over-qualified and over-experienced for the job.

I am advocating that decision-makers need to rethink their strategy for employing / recruiting candidates. I am asking decision-makers to consider candidates that are “imperfect”- meaning candidates who don’t have all the immediate required skills / experience; lack the required qualifications or have different qualifications; are from different backgrounds / cultures.

This is because, whilst employers want immediate help to fill a gap by recruiting a perceived specialist, what they would really prefer is an employee who intends to stay long term, so any investment in training / acclimatisation won’t be a waste of time and money.

In saying this, how can employers and recruiters identify appropriate imperfect candidates who still fit the criteria of job roles? Here is list of five categories that will prove to be a wise investment:

1. The under-qualified candidate: This candidate has more reason to prove that they have what it takes to hold down the job. Their enthusiasm and focus are limitless. In saying this, there are certain things that will work in the employer’s favour- the opportunity to have a lower starting price; the guarantee of a longer probation period; the opportunity to set favourable performance targets. These things are excellent strategies to mitigate the risk for employers and to ensure their investment in this type of candidate makes an eventual return. These things will also offset any concerns about this type of candidate’s need to be trained “intensively.” Couple this with the fact that an employer can ask the candidate to also invest in their own future by paying for particular training by themselves before they start the job- a shared investment by both parties in the relationship.
2. The overseas-qualified and experienced candidate: This candidate represents the best odds of an immediate return, because these candidates already have previous experience (sometimes a lot of it) to do the required job. Whilst some “locals” may deem these candidates as being over-qualified and over-experienced, the reality is, they need to learn how to assimilate within the local business environment and culture. This takes time. Furthermore, communication and interpersonal skills with many “migrant” candidates is very hit-and-miss, and so the risk can be high on the surface. However, where it is extremely favourable for employers is these candidates want to work hard for the business, require minimal technical training, and can also present cost savings in regards of wages and probation period. The key factor to consider is to ensure employers spend quality time in assimilating / acclimatising the candidate into the business’ culture and business operations. We cannot assume this new employee will just get along with other staff. More effort needs to be spent in inter-cultural relations on the operations level to ensure ALL staff also “buy-into” having someone different within the business. In return, an employer will find a ready-made employee who can technically perform the required duties, meaning more immediate contributions to goals / targets.
3. The fresh graduate: This candidate in many ways is a blank-canvass, technically, but has immense enthusiasm and commitment to do things beyond what their position description says- they are the business world’s “workhorses.” They can be “shaped” and “trained” to execute tasks the way employers want. Many of these candidates are just starting their professional lives, so unlike older candidates, their career is the number one priority. The fact of the matter is, these candidates are ready to work the longest hours out of any group, just to get the necessary “hands-on” industry experience to put on their résumés in the immediate term (this group is ready-made for professional internships just to get industry experience). In regards to employing a fresh graduate, price wise, probation wise and incentive-wise, employers do need to be careful. They cannot just assume that these candidates will be loyal or will be happy working for a crappy wage, whilst working long hours.  They are highly qualified dream-chasers, so if they can’t see explicit investment by employers in their futures or the associated benefits of being part of the business, then they will be the first to leave. Period.  The aim for employers is to plug into the psyche of young people to best appreciate their motivations. Employment conditions, rewards and incentives matter, especially if they are explicit and tangible. Cause and effect is critical in regards to appealing to this type of candidate, whom in the long term represents a great bridge to the business’ future sustainability.
4. The parent returning to work: Since the cost of living is skyrocketing, it is necessary for this type of candidate to work, just to afford their investment in their chosen lifestyle (being responsible for the welfare of children). The hypocrisy many employers and recruiters possess towards parents is extremely disconcerting. It’s almost like “do as I say and not what I do;” or “yes, I’m a parent, but I’m the boss too, so that is different!” Employers and recruiters all need a reality check. Once upon a time, before a candidate decided to become a parent, they most likely were a supremely talented business professional. Now they are ready to return and they have a focused hunger to succeed, based on a fear of not being great providers for their families. Their reasons for working cannot be denied and the fundamental truth is, they are excellent choices to consider for employment, because of the very fact they ARE parents. The types of pressures they’ve dealt with have given them the life experience to battle through “trench warfare.” They completely get what it means to have a job and the necessities and luxuries that are afforded by having a regular wage. If employers want loyalty, commitment and consistency in performance, look no further than hiring a parent returning to the workforce. Yes, you may need to be flexible with time arrangements and may have to invest in training to help them re-acclimatise to working with current systems and procedures, but the returns are immense. A parent has made a conscious choice to return to the workforce. They are committed to making that investment a success.
5. The mature-aged jobseeker: Like a parent returning to the workforce, a mature aged jobseeker is faced with a reality of the skyrocketing costs of living. Many need to work, but at the same time possibly lack the up-to-date skills to fit into the daily operations of a contemporary business. This is where these types of candidates represent a “middle ground” between an under-qualified candidate and a parent returning to the workforce. Governments want employers to consider putting mature-aged jobseekers back into the workforce. The “incentives” handed out to employers can range from- assistance given to train them; assistance given to employ them; money given to recruit, train and maintain their employment. Recruiters can also share in the “recruitment” of mature-aged jobseekers, especially if they hold a health care / pension card. Whilst it might seem ‘tokenistic” to offer such incentives and assistance, it is necessary as many employers believe mature-aged jobseekers are not fast-enough or smart-enough to cope with the demands of today’s business. This is especially the case when many business managers today are “much younger.” In reality, they are the ones that lack the management skills to best-supervise and get the best out of these types of candidates. This is where employers need to realise there are services out there that can assist in not just supporting jobseekers, but also supporting employers in acquiring the necessary skills to be the best managers of people- young and old.

The reality is, these categories of imperfect candidates do have areas of improvement, which in the short term, requires the attention of employers to invest time and money into them. However, in the medium and long term, these same imperfect candidates will prove to be the better choices, because of their tangible reasons to work. Therefore, despite their shortcomings, imperfect candidates can prove to be a critical part of highly successful and winning teams, as there is a shared vision for sustainability and longevity.

To put it more clearly- Having a localised (westernised) nick-name for business works. Names and meanings go hand in hand. I didn’t invent this. This has always happened in every global society. It isn’t a question of discrimination or racism, but the truth is, if you intend to work within a particular society, then you need to adopt a localised nick-name to be more accepted within the local culture. We have seen it with every new cultural group that has immigrated from one land to another and how over time their acceptance of local culture has been adopted by the eventual names they have chosen for their future children.

This is certainly true for jobseekers that have chosen to immigrate to a new country. The first decision to consider should be to find a new nick-name you would prefer local citizens to call you by. You should choose a localised name you like before one is given to you (accidentally or deliberately).

When speaking to recruiters and employers they have advised me that having a first name they can correctly pronounce is as important as choosing a first name that they are familiar with. From a customer service perspective, this becomes more apparent, as employers want their employees to be seen as both business and cultural experts when interacting with local customers.

 A name is a powerful statement. Period.

 In my own experiences when career counselling clients, I have found that “localising” their names made a difference by-

•  Increasing the number of phones calls they received
• Allowing for greater connection / rapport with local employers and recruiters
• Opening up new job opportunities in professional roles
• Building greater confidence from those around them that they had made successful efforts to assimilate

Whether this is a fortunate or unfortunate reality isn’t the debate here. What I am pointing out is, simply, a solution to get the right attention form local employers and recruiters. Having a localised name gets results.

I had a recent client who for the first 3 months of our relationship refused to take my advice in changing his first name from ‘Hardeep’ to ‘Harry.’ My reasons for changing his name was to ensure local employers could better relate to him as a Production Engineer. Hardeep believed that, because he had worked for European and American brand enterprises back in his home country, this meant he didn’t needed to ‘compromise.’ This was on top of the fact he had no local industry experience, so my work with him proved doubly difficult. I tried to explain to him that having a localised name allowed for greater acceptance, as he was the one who chose to come here, so it was up to him to accept the culture and take this necessary step to demonstrate he had taken conscious steps to successfully assimilate into local society.

The change only came after I had his brother in law, Anoop come and see me. Anoop was introduced to me by Hardeep, and was much younger than him. From the very start he was open minded to my ideas, as his number one priority was to get a job as a Graduate IT Helpdesk Officer. He had very good international experience, but, like his brother in law, had no local industry experience.

When I made the suggestion to Anoop to adopt a localised nick-name, he already had one in mind- ‘Andrew.’ So from that point, we practised using ‘Andrew’ in all our interactions and I coached him in all the same areas I had done so with Hardeep. Unlike Hardeep, Anoop made a conscientious effort to be open minded about my pre-employment advice.

All his coverletters, his résumés, his mobile phone voicemail message, his email address, his LinkedIn profile and his online applications were consistent with our strategy to refer to him as ‘Andrew.’ Within a week, he got 2 interview calls. Then within 4 weeks, he had 2 face to face interviews with employers. Finally within 7 weeks, he finally scored a job in his field. All this without local industry experience!

How was this possible? It was all possible, because Anoop understood that he needed to assimilate into the local culture and that the most explicit and most powerful statement he could make that he had successfully done so was by adopting a localised name for business.

As soon as Anoop announced to all his family and friends here and abroad he had got a job, I received a phone call from Hardeep. He was apologetic that he had not taken my advice sooner and that a lot of the frustration he was now experiencing could have been avoided. By this time, Hardeep was ready to take my advice on adopting the name ‘Harry,’ which resulted in him getting a job in 3 weeks!

My end game when I approach any conversation with a new client is to help them get a job. Period. If this means suggesting a name change, then it is all about achieving a positive outcome. My advice to those taking note of this article is to think about the following points:

1. Choose a nick-name that is similar to your own name, in regards to the first letter of your name or a direct translation (from one’s language into English). For example: Saviz=Sam; Anushka=Ana; Fahad=Frank; Pradeep=Peter; Esteban=Steve,  Michel=Michael. Try not to use names that are too unique. For example, I would not use Neo, Oprah, Elvis or Jesus as a name. As much I am very respectful of the meanings of these names, to modern western societies they are not names that would generate a positive reaction. A big part of “successful assimilation” into local society is to acquire a real perspective / appreciation of the humour and banter behind the local language. These specific names will only draw a negative reaction based on local cultural humour.
2. If you are from a country where it is normal to have multiple first names and multiple family names, then please just settle on one first name (nick-name) and one family name. That is it. In most western countries, this is the accepted culture. This is the name combination you will use in all your applications.
3. The localised first name you choose needs to be a name you need to be comfortable with using for the rest of your working life in your new chosen country of residence. It will be on your business card, email, work badge, etc. So it is critical to find a name that you intend to stick with.
4. It is important that your “voicemail” message on your mobile phone introduces you as your new nick-name. The last thing you want is for recruiters or employers to be confused when they call you and get the wrong impression when they hear your voicemail message. Whilst your friends might not like it, the critical point to make here is unless your friends are going to offer you a job, then they have no say in this strategy!
5. It is important all your local and international referees are made aware of the new name you intend to use for the local job market. It is imperative should they receive a call to conduct a reference / referee check they acknowledge you by your new nick-name / localised name. There must be a consistency applied throughout the entire recruitment process.
6. It is important you create a new email address that is consistent with your new name. Most businesses use Microsoft Outlook as their default email system. This means your full name as well as your email address will be visible in all your emails to employers and recruiters. For example, if my name was Harsha Singh and I changed it to Harry Singh, then I need to create an email, which is reflective of my new nickname- harry.singh@gmail.com. Another point to make, is to ensure you use English letter characters when creating your new email profile / address.
7. It is important ensure your LinkedIn account is consistent with your new name. So if we use the example of Harsha again, then the new profile name should read either ‘Harry Harsh Singh’ or just ‘Harry Singh.’ You also need to change the URL setting to customise it. You can edit this to ensure maximum recognition of your new unique profile name. Local employers and recruiters will use LinkedIn to authenticate your experience and at the same time research your profile. Their acceptance of you is also dependent on their view that you can fit into the culture of the local business.

In summary, a localised name is an explicit statement about your intentions within the local job market. It is also symbolic of your successful assimilation into the local culture. History has shown how many business leaders from diverse backgrounds have travelled over oceans to start new lives in foreign countries, where they eventually built their own empires. Their success to rise above local stereotypes of their culture was made easier by their decision to alter their names to suit the local market. Thus, while it isn’t compulsory you do so, there is enough evidence to suggest how being called ‘Harry’ and not ‘Hardeep’ in the local job market can make a positive difference in your career journey.

The end game is simple: Stand-out résumé = interview. Period. Any country, any industry, any language, any culture! I have 10, 000 plus reasons (and counting) why it will work. My client, recruiter and employer contacts can attest to it.

Everything starts off with a well-presented résumé. If your aspiration matters to you, then the following 5 tips are the game-changers you need to get the right attention. A game-changing résumé should:

1.Be purpose built. You cannot have just one résumé and expect it to be like the “Lord of the Rings”- one résumé to rule them all! No way. In fact you need to ensure you create different versions of yourself by designing and customising a résumé that is specific to each direction, level and type of role you want to apply for. For example, if you are an accounting professional, you will need a different résumé where you are seen as a “specialist” and not a “generalist”- so a résumé for financial accounting, management accounting, accounts payable, accounts relievable, finance officer, bookkeeper, administrator may be needed to ensure you meet the specific criteria and level of each type of job vacancy.

2.Be achievement based. This means “quantifying” all your responsibilities with numbers. This is a philosophy I have developed over the last 10 years writing résumés for clients. Not every one has identifiable or explicit achievements. However, every one can write down the number of things they performed, the targets they achieved, or the time they efficiently saved to perform key tasks in their “Responsibilities Section.” Adding numbers, percentages, dollars, sizes of teams, scope of projects, scope of tasks, defines the depth / volume of a candidate’s ability to deal with pressure- especially in comparison to other candidate résumé profiles. Whether the reader is a recruiter, the receptionist or the CEO- everyone understands numbers. Period. When I talk about this to new clients there is an epiphany they experience- the look on their face is priceless, as no one, had ever talked about this before to them, but they instantly see the benefit of doing it. Quantify every responsibility and you will make it easy for audiences to immediately understand your value.

 3. Have an online LinkedIn profile. At the very start of a résumé, in your personal details section, under your e-mail address, there should be another line that says “LinkedIn Profile”. This is where you list your LinkedIn address. In today’s job market, it is now inevitable that all jobseekers need to have a LinkedIn profile to guarantee you are seen as authentic. LinkedIn is public and can be viewed by everyone. Social media is driving how referee checks are being conducted. The endorsements and recommendations you receive will propel your standing in the job market and enhance your credibility as a genuine contender. Even if you are long term unemployed, or a parent returning to work, a LinkedIn profile is necessary in today’s job market, as you exist in the public sphere. Furthermore, it makes it easy for employers and recruiters to find you and verify your existence. I know many recruiters who refuse to consider candidates unless they have a LinkedIn profile. They use it as an authentication tool to ensure short-listed candidates possess immediate and recognisable integrity. Quite simply, you are not real without a LinkedIn profile.

 4. Have skills ranked- basic, intermediate or advanced. That’s it. All these different / fancy adjectives used to describe, distort, manipulate, hide your true skill level should be stopped. Proficient? Adept? Hands-On? Demonstrated? Good? It all needs to stop. I am imploring you to practise the KISS methodology-Keep. It. Simple. Stupid.  Basic means beginner- you need training, but can learn it; Intermediate means you have used it before or currently use it now as an end-user; Advanced means you are a genius and that you either are “administrator” or “trainer” level.  Tabulating your skills on your résumé and ranking each one makes it easier for your audience to not only read your résumé, but also quickly process and assess you against other candidates. At the same time, it saves reading chunks of paragraphs by simplifying things under tabulated categories such as: Technology / Computer Skills; Back Office Skills; Frontline Skills; Technical Skills. Simple. Effective. Straight to the point.

 5. Use language appropriate to the specific role. There is no point telling readers you can do everything when this isn’t what they want. The market today is a buyer’s market. Employers and recruiters are specific about what they want. Every vacancy has a set selection criteria. This means you need to only mention things that are appropriate to the criteria. The first priority is to use the exact language, terminologies, descriptions used in the position description and vacancy advertisement. Period. This isn’t plagiarism. This is about being seen as a candidate who speaks “the employer’s language.” Remove things from your list of responsibilities that obstruct readers from seeing you as a “specialist” in the advertisement’s vacant position. For example, if you are an accountant and are applying for a bookkeeping role (lower level), then it isn’t appropriate to mention things that are outside of what a bookkeeper can do. Plus, by ranking things outside the criteria, you open yourself up to being scrutinised as being over-qualified. Furthermore, there is a big difference between saying, “I led teams” versus “I supported teams.” Thus, the language you use dictates how your skills and experience will be judged “at the right level” against the criteria.

Overall, the intent of these tips is to encourage people to be as factual as possible in their résumés.  By implementing these tips you are ensuring that when it comes time to have an interview, you already have presented tangible facts that speeds up the recruitment process and puts you at the front of the line. Therefore the foundation of these 5 game changing tips is simple: if you intend to be in the game, then change how you play the game, so you can end up with a different result= a job offer.

The application process for these types of job advertisements will require not only an accompanying coverletter and résumé, but will also require a separate document that lists candidate responses to the KSC. This usually requires multiple pages of documents and more effort in thinking about how one specifically meets the set criteria. If a candidate is not an expert in preparing KSC responses, then asking for professional help, or staying in for the next few nights to get them right becomes a necessity.

Now before jobseekers go rushing off spending their entire weekends preparing all these documents, I wanted to share some observations. I have discovered common themes and frustrations with KSC requirements. At the same time, I have listed solutions to prevent jobseekers from wasting their time and effort:

1. There is a high incidence of “fake” jobs. I have found that many vacancies have “internal candidates” also applying for the job. This means when the vacancy is advertised publicly, then to most of us, we think it’s an equal playing field, when it really isn’t. Why are these jobs advertised in the first place, most people ask? It is extremely frustrating. From a HR perspective it is political correctness and equality laws going too far! When candidates request my assistance to write a KSC response sheet, the first thing I ask them is whether they have called the manager/ officer in charge of the vacancy (usually found at the bottom of advertisement) to ask them if the job is real. I ask them to call the organisation and ask if there is someone already “acting in the job” or if there are “internal candidates” also applying. If there are, I tell my clients to not bother applying. Now to many people this may be a defeatist attitude, however, I’m a realist. I’ve worked in organisations, where 99 times out of 100, the internally-referred candidate gets the job. Period. So the lesson here is plain and simple. Check first by calling before wasting time preparing documents for nothing.

2. KSC responses differ from organisation to organisation. When I consult with candidates, I also ask them if they have checked about what format is required for the responses. I ask them to call and get back to me. I don’t proceed with anything, unless they find this out as this could mean, once again, misguided effort. The 3 most common formats are:

• The STAR System (Situation+Task+Action+Result)- candidates need to give a specific historical example, which demonstrates factual evidence to each criterion. This is most common with universities and government organisations.
• The Summary System- candidates need to address all the criteria in a summarised format within a single page, making references that cover all criteria. Some federal government departments and corporate organisations use this format. This system can also be applied within the coverletter. The actual advertisement will point out that “only applicants that have addressed the criteria” will be considered. So addressing the criteria within the coverletter is necessary.
• The Overview System- candidates need to write “overview points” to each criterion listed. It could include specific or general examples that give a continuous / holistic overview of experience gained from a variety of jobs and not just one job. It means that under each criterion, there could be several short dot points / sentences that highlight a “history” of demonstrated experience.

Quite explicitly, it is easy to see how frustrating it can be to write responses to KSC. Personally, I’ve had candidates whom I have assisted miss out on job interviews, because they were specifically told by employers they responded to the KSC in the wrong format, which is really a terrible excuse. In this case, I think there is too much emphasis on the technicality of KSC responses within the recruitment process where high-calibre candidates have missed out due to misjudging the process. Damn shame!

3. Some jobs clearly have unrealistic expectations. I’ve been assisting candidates for many years and have discovered that some jobs are just plain ridiculous in what they ask for. I’ve read advertisements where rather than asking for just experience they have been specific about the number of years. Some have asked for experience using unique software that can only be found within the set environment, so as an outsider one pretty much doesn’t have any chance getting in. Some have asked for experience in processes or systems within a unique environment, which to most candidates, means an explicit no, despite clear, transferable and highly-regarded credentials. I often think that these advertisements and criteria have been created, because the employer already has someone in mind. They have manipulated the recruitment process to minimise the possible competition in a supposed open and equal playing field. Fair? Definitely no! However, how will we ever find out? In such situations where advertisements and selection criteria are clearly biased, I tell my clients not to bother. Or if they are persistent, then I want them to make verbal contact with the recruiting officer, to ensure some verbal guarantee the job isn’t fake or rigged.

Every jobseeker knows the amount of effort that goes into preparing KSC responses. The effort can prove to be aimless and misguided if the proper due diligence is not performed. The public perception of alleged bias, unrealistic expectations and perceived snobbery in processes, is indicative of recruitment processes gone mad.

If employers really want to simplify recruitment processes and regain public trust and confidence in their brand, then they need to use private recruitment companies. Period. Private recruitment companies exist for the very reason of maintaining integrity in all aspects of the recruitment process. They don’t need over-complicated KSC to judge and assess the right candidates. There is a recruitment company for every industry out there. So HR departments or business managers really don’t have any excuse not to use the services of an external recruitment agency.

On a final note, the “jobs for mates” assessment that surrounds many institutional and governmental jobs won’t go away until there is an explicit and transparent shift in how KSC is used to identify and select suitable talent. However, until that happens, or more organisations decide to use external recruitment agencies, then the responsibility lies with candidates properly addressing KSC. Therefore, the lessons learned from the home truths about KSC, can only serve as a positive motivational tool for jobseekers to how being accountable can ensure every piece of effort counts.

1. Currently unemployed people- this includes experienced professionals and graduates who are living off their savings until they get a new gig, currently on welfare payments, or holding down casual survival employment
2. Transitional people- recently unemployed experienced professionals (includes retrenched) and graduates who are new to unemployment (includes students who have just graduated from courses and early school leavers)
3. Newly arrived migrants- recently graduated from a local institution, and migrants who have come here from professional backgrounds overseas (the assumption is they are not working in their preferred fields in the local market)
4. Returning to work people- carers and parents returning to workforce (have had period of “unemployment” as they have cared for others)

These jobseekers face significant hurdles in trying to bridge gaps, validate experience and verify authenticity of employment. Common questions asked by recruiters include:

• What have you been doing in the meantime whilst looking for work?
• How have you kept your skills up-to-date?
• Besides your qualifications, why do you think you are suitable for this new job?
• What were you doing between this period of time?
• Why are you applying for this lower-end job when you have a lot of experience?
• Tell me about your current experience in relation to this new job?
• Tell me about your local experience?
• What did you do after you graduated?
• Who are your referees that can vouch for the required skills?
• Do you know how to use this particular software?

My solution is for jobseekers to consider undertaking a voluntary work placement / professional internship, whilst they look for preferred career employment.

Voluntary work may not be for everyone. For some, it is impossible. I appreciate that some internships allow you to get paid, but let’s assume you won’t, so we are all on the same page. I am proposing unpaid, voluntary work. I am proposing that for the groups mentioned above, it is a viable solution that should be considered immediately to enhance employability.

Here are my ABCs of volunteer work and internships and my reasons:

• Advocacy: In today’s market, having current “local” professional referees make an explicit difference. They act as “guarantors” that you are who you say you are. Period. Credible local industry professionals willing to put their reputation on the line for you matter and should be on your résumé. Having referees from current experience can help leverage your appeal- it’s not what you know, but whom you know.
• Bridges: Fixing gaps in unemployment or work skills are an issue for many jobseekers. A voluntary work placement / internship can fix this. Critically, your current or most recent job, despite being voluntary, carries the most weight with employers and recruiters, who want as many guarantees from you to mitigate the risks in choosing you.
• Currency:  Today, voluntary work is as good as paid employment as it shows you are willing to work hard to maintain skills and experience that are “current.” The thinking behind this focuses on employers choosing candidates who don’t require a lot of investment- including training, education and induction. It is too much of a risk to choose someone who doesn’t know about key software, processes or pressures.

There are many benefits to completing a voluntary work placement / internship including:

• Improving localised language, communication and interpersonal skills
• Acquiring exposure to a specific workplace culture
• Developing strong teamwork skills balanced with the exercise of individual responsibility
• Gaining real hands-on, current experience within a local industry
• Putting to practice knowledge learned from an acquired qualification
• Gaining an opportunity to practice a passion or interest
• Acquiring exposure to specific industry practices, processes, softwares and systems
• Acquiring exposure to unique pressures and expectations within a specific environment
• Gaining credible professional referees
• Building specific industry contacts and networks

The pay-off is explicit. However, it comes down to how necessary you think it is to make this supposed sacrifice. People who think it is wrong to do work for free need a reality check. The negative questions conjured up about voluntary work shouldn’t be about morality. It should be about sustainable pathways to success. In today’s highly competitive market, voluntary work has explicit benefits for all consenting parties involved.

I have many clients who work two or three jobs. They are doing voluntary work in their preferred career areas, whilst doing something else completely unrelated and possibly menial just to survive. Many do not receive welfare support.

These clients understand the end pay-off, despite the initial trade-off. They understand having a degree doesn’t make them unique. They understand local and current referees matter. They understand the questions being asked in interviews. Consequently, they value how their immediate investment in voluntary work is a reliable pathway to success.

I personally have had great success with clients that have completed voluntary work placements / internships. Of the hundreds of clients I have helped organise voluntary internships for- one hundred per cent of them have found career employment. Organising voluntary internships is a service I offer through my company, Career Insight.

My recruiter contacts are very thankful for my intervention in helping get “nearly-there” candidates over the line and to a point where they are marketable.

In some cases, the employers that originally granted them to do voluntary work within their organisations hired them into paid employment, once positions became available. They were considered “internal” candidates for advertised vacancies, which made them the front-runners for jobs. A win-win-win for all parties concerned.

Overall, voluntary work placements / Internships are not a long-term solution, but are an immediate, short-term solution, where there are also benefits for employers, as they are getting an extra set of hands to undertake specific tasks important to the business.

I don’t believe what Tony Abbott says that unemployed people can’t be choosers. That is wrong. As a career counsellor that goes against everything I stand for.

Hence, I believe if you are truly passionate about a particular line of work, then you need to do things to be relevant and stay relevant; you need to make sacrifices that are short-term, but have a long-term effect; and most importantly, you need to be willing to act on your career aspirations and not just talk about them.

However, it is this access that frustrates most jobseekers. Ask any jobseeker and they will freely share their negative experiences trying to get hold of recruiters to speak to them. They will talk about “the wall of disconnect” – the gatekeepers (receptionists) who guard the communication lines; the numerous messages left to return calls; and the unhelpful administration processes that seem to differ agency to agency.

I can completely empathise with what jobseekers go through. During my many counselling meetings, I have assisted clients make phone calls in the hope of building their confidence to follow up their applications. It is a crucial part of the jobsearch / jobseeking game. To then experience firsthand “the wall of disconnect” is overwhelming for many of my clients.

At the same time, as a former recruiter, I have a full understanding and appreciation of the daily grind today’s recruiters go through to make jobs fall into place and what it personally takes to achieve performance targets month in, month out.

Equipped with an intimate appreciation of both sides of “the wall” I have thought about what I could write to assist recruiters in their role by putting together a list of things jobseekers can do to get their attention. Believe me when I say this- recruiters are extremely busy people, so getting their attention falls on the shoulders of individual jobseekers. So here are my top 7 tips:

1. Timing is everything: In my Twitter account, I am constantly reminding my followers which days are the best days to apply for jobs. For me, the best time to apply for jobs and send out applications is Sunday night. This is because recruiters return to work on Monday. Emailing applications on the last day of the weekend increases the chances of them being within the “optimum” viewing section of a recruiter’s work email. Trust me when I say this: recruiters do not have time to read through every emailed application so timing when applications are sent is actually very practical.

2. Effective jobsearch routines are central to interview potential: The traditional pillars of “parachute” jobsearching (make jobsearching a full time job) no longer apply in today’s job market. The efficiency rate / ratio of actual phone calls to sent applications would be explicitly low if jobseekers simply just applied to jobs without following up. It would be a complete waste of time and energy. My suggested routine for jobsearching, carrying on from Tip One, is the “3-3-1 Rule.” Put simply: 3 days of sending applications (Sunday night, Tuesday night, Thursday night); 3 days of following up sent applications during business hours (Monday, Wednesday and Friday); and finally one day (Saturday) purely for window shopping for vacancies and / or preparing applications to be emailed Sunday night. This routine is effective because it efficiently sets a focus each day.

3. Applications are advertisements:  Let’s get this straight- a recruiter would only criticise a résumé’s format because it is unclear about what direction or specialisation it is trying to promote.  The golden rule of résumés is to make it interesting enough so recruiters actually want to read it. The onus lies on the jobseeker to prepare documents that respond to the selection criteria. Recruiters have it hard already by having to read so many different application formats. Filtering through these and having to decipher content is a pain. Most recruiters would agree with me when I say reading résumés is not a task that they look forward to. So focus only on what the advertisement says. Period.

4. Be seen and heard: Assuming you already have a LinkedIn account, you need to advertise on your profile you are keen to talk to recruiters to discuss vacancies. Many recruiters today rely on LinkedIn as a reliable resourcing tool to identify, verify, authenticate and filter talent. If a jobseeker isn’t on it, then questions can be raised about their true status, employment, credentials and currency in the job market. Having endorsements and recommendations, being part of associations and following them; connecting with as many peers as possible, are viable ways to get the right attention. Even when I am sleeping my LinkedIn account is working for me, so imagine the potential if a jobseeker spends quality time in making their own profile attractive to recruiters. Please note- if you do have a LinkedIn account it should mentioned be on your résumé.

5. Be locally engaged: When I practise following up applications with clients, we do role plays and run through what words and phrases they can use. Culturally speaking, to many of my migrant jobseekers, being linguistically assertive is not something that comes naturally. This makes practice necessary. I make it a priority to focus on a jobseeker’s lifestyles, hobbies, interests and life choices. It is imperative for me to ensure they are ready to engage in discussions about the weekend, the weather, football, current affairs, and popular culture at the drop of a hat. This is what makes them interesting enough for recruiters to see beyond their accents to engage in a phone interview.

6. Phone scripts are useful: The “wall of disconnect” does exist. However, there are ways to overcome it. I encourage jobseekers to plan what they intend to say on the phone if they do get through to their intended target versus not getting through. Not getting through includes the contingency plans (what to say) that need to be implemented to not sound like a business amateur on the phone. If a jobseeker gets through, then it is about getting straight to the point and asking two questions: (1)- if they have received the application and if they have read it?; and (2)- is there anything specific they are looking for in the perfect candidate? The focus of these questions is to lead the recruiter to engage in a discussion about the jobseeker’s credentials. If this occurs, this is the beginning of a phone interview. Now if a person doesn’t get through to the specific recruiter then hope is not lost. Leave a message with the person on the phone, but most critically tell them that if they haven’t heard back from the said recruiter by the end of the day or the next day they will call again (name a time). I call this “the anchor”- Leaving a message with a defined time anchor allows for tacit consent for another call to be made if needed.

7. Real time messaging works: As mentioned before, LinkedIn is a reliable resourcing tool used by recruiters. Knowing this, jobseekers can use LinkedIn to initiate an alternative form of contact to overcome the “wall of disconnect” with recruiters. In my career counselling sessions with jobseekers I have found many of them have had greater success communicating via LinkedIn rather than just making a phone call alone to follow up a sent application. LinkedIn’s messaging service is a great real-time communication facility that allows jobseekers (once a connection invitation is accepted with the specific recruiter) to have a conversation. Furthermore, recruiters can readily use a jobseeker’s online profile to make a real-time assessment of their suitability for a vacancy.

In a perfect world, recruiters would get back to every applicant and advise them of why they did or didn’t get through to the next stage. In business terms (in reality), this is impossible based on the tight deadlines and magnitude of administrative and account management work that needs to take place each and every day. Some recruiters have resorted to putting at the bottom of advertisements courtesy messages / disclaimers that pretty much say “don’t call us, we’ll call you.” While it might sound unprofessional to out the truth, it is necessary to remind us all that there simply aren’t enough hours during a work day to get to every applicant.

Based on this honest revelation, my suggested tips are designed to assist jobseekers get the right attention. As simple as they are, they are life-changing. I know this because I have seen them work firsthand. I believe if aspiration matters to a jobseeker they need to put their fate into their own hands to make opportunities happen. Ultimately, it all starts off by making a conscientious effort to connect and engage others and using these relationships as leverage to gain access to exclusive opportunities. Thus, I look forward to accepting your LinkedIn invitation.

Employers today can be risk-averse. That is naturally acceptable. However, should a company want to grow its business base with minimal investment, then looking at different ways to bring talent into the business is necessary. Bringing in staff from different backgrounds and equipped with skills sets proven in diverse markets adds another immediate dimension to the capabilities of a team. Culturally speaking, whilst they may appear and look different, their quality is evident in allowing the team to challenge itself to greater opportunities of success.

Whilst an initial investment in time and money may appear to be a non-desired exercise, it has been proven time and time again to reap the required results. Whilst skeptics may say it cannot work and requires too much investment, the truth lies therefore in the initial investment- was it real or tokenistic in the first place, because true innovation is something that requires the “entire team” to buy into the vision.

At Career Insight, we believe in shared success. We invest in people because we know the rewards awaiting both employers and jobseekers is great and worth the risk. However, in order to have guarantees we work with all parties. Our work is very much about future-proofing employment that works for both sides. If aspirations matters to you, don’t just let us tell you why, but let us show you how!

Career Insight started 10 years ago. It was designed to assist jobseekers understand how to navigate and steer their careers in an innovative, yet results-focused fashion. However, in helping jobseekers, it became immediately apparent that employers as identifiers, recruiters, decision-makers, and managers of jobseekers needed a reliable expert to also guide them. Career Insight became that “bridge” between employers and jobseekers, helping successfully synergise objectives and goals.

Steve del Rosario is very proud today to announce that Career Insight is going into a new area where the team has updated the company website and made it more responsive, flexible and accessible to everyone, anywhere around the world at any given time.

Employers can rejoice in the fact there is a genuine partner that speaks their language. The information on the website is focused on future-proofing their business brands.

Ultimately, Career Insight is more than just a website. It’s a real-time application. It’s a movement. It’s an entire community of forward-thinking decision-makers. Career Insight is all about achieving shared success between employers and jobseekers. Why? Because at Career Insight aspiration matters to them!

Career Insight is a company Steve del Rosario started 10 years ago. It was designed to assist jobseekers understand how to navigate and steer their careers in an innovative and results-focused fashion.

He is very proud today to announce that Career Insight is going into a new area where the team has updated the company’s website and made it more responsive, flexible and accessible to everyone, anywhere around the world at any given time.

The vision is clear: Whether you are travelling on the train to an interview, sitting in the comfort of your own home 3.00am in the morning, or sitting on a park bench on a weekend the day before your interview, its important for you to know that there is a reliable resource available out there that allows you to access trusted information to help you improve your chances at an interview, improve your decision making in the workplace, and more importantly allows you to make good decisions about your future career direction.

Ultimately, Career Insight is more than just a website. It’s a real-time application. It’s a movement. It’s an entire community of forward-thinking decision-makers. Steve del Rosario and his team are genuinely focused on helping jobseekers achieve career success. Why? Because at Career Insight your aspiration matters to them!

At this point in time I am declaring that jobseekers should take control of their career future in 2014 by doing something bold, innovative and untraditional. Really what do you have to lose by trying a different tactic and strategy to get the desired result, which is to get an interview. It’s not about getting the job. It is all about getting interviews…plural!

Let’s get straight to the point- The more interviews you get the better your chances are to get that desired job opportunity. You want to be short-listed. You want to be part of the final two. If you aren’t even getting this far then you really need to take the lead and do something different.

I am proposing three sure-fire ways to “get ahead” and “get noticed” in 2014. They are innovative, yet proven ways to ensure as a jobseeker you are doing everything in your personal control to get noticed:

Number one: Update your name to get noticed. I know this may sound crazy, but the name you have on your résumé is what people will call you. This is also what people will weigh up in regards to whether it is consistent with their company’s values and professional culture.  One’s nationality and culture will definitely come into play. Whether people want to admit it having a localised nickname makes a difference. Let’s give you a scenario: You work in a client interfacing role on behalf of a local corporation. The clients’ satisfaction is the number one indicator of a company’s successful branding and a big part of that branding is having people in that brand that represents the wider community. As a client I would prefer to be with an organisation that I can identify with and most critically identifies with who I am. I would prefer to deal with a representative who has a name I can pronounce and identify. This is part of mutual rapport building and so I want to deal with someone I think represents me. Taking this thinking and applying it to the real world of job seeking, it would be easy to suggest that most names would be common and easy to pronounce, but to be honest, it isn’t the case. Names play a critical part in making that first positive impression to get an interview with decision-makers looking at applications.

It is not illegal to put on your résumé “preferred name” or “professional name” – if anything you are making it easier to build rapport without embarrassing the other party if they mispronounce your name. Furthermore, from a customer service perspective having a “localised” name that is easily identifiable and easy to pronounce is paramount to moving ahead in the recruitment process. Most critically your successful local cultural assimilation is a key factor in deciding whether you are a suitable candidate.

A final note for this resolution is to make sure your email address is consistent to the new nickname or preferred name you have chosen. You can’t just use your old email address as there would be an explicit inconsistency in the new name you have taken on. The core reasoning behind this resolution is to be relevant and to be noticed. If updating one’s name to make it more identifiable results in a getting a phone call, then I can assure you it is a strategy worth employing.

Number two: Use social media to drive public profile: Let’s get straight to the point- Facebook is only for private use. Your private life needs to be separate from your professional life. This includes being “social” with work senior colleagues, managers or people that may be considered decision-makers. How you project your image using this medium will ultimately have an effect on your career aspirations. If you don’t believe me then it would be worthwhile for you to Google the countless numbers of professionals who have lost their jobs due to social media indiscretions. If you are intending on using the internet or social media to drive your public profile then you need to open up and pay for a LinkedIn account. If you truly want to create a professional profile that is acceptable in most corporate fields, then LinkedIn is the best way to increase public awareness that you exist and matter.

My positive observations about LinkedIn include: it is a great way to have a ready to send / ready to access résumé for others to view in real-time; it is a great way to build connections with industry contacts, especially recruiters and employers; it is a great way to tap into the “hidden” job market by being connected to organisations and networks that search for industry professionals by reputation; it a great way to build a positive professional image using the endorsements and recommendations tools; and finally, it is a great way to approach, contact and connect with people you need to be “linked in” with. The opportunities are endless when using LinkedIn. Once upon a time, having an email address on a résumé was optional, now it is necessary. In my professional opinion, I would say the same thing about having a LinkedIn profile on a résumé- it needs to be there to tell people you are a professional whose existence can be authenticated and validated.

A final note for this resolution is to put a professional photo of yourself online. Being “real” means you are being honest and transparent about yourself- this includes a professional photo that people can see and identify with when they view your history, background and credentials. The core reasoning behind this resolution is to show people you mean business and that you have nothing to hide. At the same time, I believe it to be very professional and good manners to be upfront with others when dealing with business matters. LinkedIn is a public profile. You cannot lie on it as it can be viewed and accessed by everyone. This means recruiters and employers know you are being genuine.

Number three: Professional licensing will be your greatest point of difference in 2014: Once upon a time, people needed just experience to get ahead, then the world continued to evolve and qualifications became the dominant factor in distinguishing which candidates were superior- Certificate, Diploma, Bachelor and Master level qualifications became the “norm” in the last few years. However, we have reached the peak of this period in that many professionals now have similar qualifications. This means there really is no point of explicit difference once again between candidates.

In 2012, I conducted research that allowed me to conclude that this trend would eventually occur and that having a Master’s degree, for example, was no longer logical or necessary. Whilst it is critical in certain technical fields, in the majority of industries a Master’s degree is perceived as a luxury and not really a compulsory point of difference for employment eligibility.

In preparing for this trend, I started to consult with candidates and got them to think about alternatives to post graduate qualifications. Some chose to still continue to do a Master’s as they felt it was prestigious to have, whereas others took my advice and successfully undertook alternatives. As of today, of the 214 that decided to do a Master’s Degree, 52% of them continue to be unemployed in their preferred field. Of the 97 that decided to take on professional licensing courses instead, 100% of them are employed.

So what do I mean by professional licensing? I believe employers have particular preferences in what candidates they ultimately choose- obviously having the right specific and relevant experience is the number one driver; secondly, having “transferable” skills and experience from a similar industry would be the next best option; and finally having candidates with the right licences or tickets to undertake the job despite a lack of experience or skills would still represent a great final alternative option to consider.

At the same time, what is interesting to observe in all industries today is the growing focus on workplace safety, compliance and regulations. Being responsible for budgetary requirements or methodologies or standards for example is no longer just about having a qualification, but also about having the licence or ticket to prove you are “worthy” or “certified” to perform that role. Quality Assurance and Quality Control is at stake- executive boards and shareholders want to know that whoever is responsible to perform a task is really up to the task; furthermore the general public want to know that a person is licensed to deal with certain matters in the community’s or shareholders’ interests.

So what are typical licences that enhance a jobseeker’s point of difference?- Let’s start with the basics:

•  Everyone should pay for a Police Check (having one speeds up the recruitment process as sometimes it can take up to 4 weeks to validate. Having one on hand and up to date allows decision-makers to think you understand the protocols, standards, urgency and responsibilities of the role

• Accounting / finance professionals should invest in computer short courses. Having a certificate that you’ve done MS Excel, or some sort of accounting software package validates you as someone who is certified to perform certain financial administrative tasks despite a lack of experience.

• Engineers should look into professional licences in their field. For example having a Quality Assurance, Process (Solidworks, CAD) or Methodology (Lean, ISO, GMP, HACCP) course allows companies to think that you appreciate the regulatory requirements that they need to observe- for example local laws, project management methods or machinery operation licences are viewed favourably by an industry that prides itself on safety, efficiency and precision.

• IT professionals should also invest in anything that requires licensing in a particular language, system, process or methodology. In particular, methodology has become the latest fashion whereby candidates I have assisted have got jobs purely on being licensed in Microsoft, SharePoint, Agile, 6 Sigma, Prince 2 or ITIL. It has been gratifying to see professionals with no local experience get jobs on the back of these QA/QC-focused licences.

To summarise, it would be in vain to continue to persist with tried and tired job seeking regimes in 2014. If you really want to stand out you need to be prepared to try something different. You have nothing to lose from trying one, some or all of these proposed resolutions. If anything I know you will get a phone call or email. Therefore, everything starts off with some kind of correspondence, which then allows you to move on to the next stage- being ready for an interview (that is another story I will write about. For for now let’s make it your aim to be in control as your aspirations do and should matter enough to want to stand out in 2014).