Making the Most of your Consultant:
Careers expert John Lees FREC tells you how your recruitment consultant can help you.
- Prepare a CV before you go. For each job you have done, focus on what you have achieved and where you have made a difference.
- Write down your achievements in measurable terms - £££s, percentages, time.
- Be very clear about what you are looking for. Think about a mini-profile you can use to present yourself - what have you done, what kind of work are you looking for, and what do you have to offer.
- Think about what you will say at interview in terms of claims and evidence: claims about your strengths, and evidence of what you have achieved in the past.
- Translate what you know and can do into terms that will appeal to a recruiter. Remember that a recruitment consultant has to "sell" you to a potential employer.
- Avoid jargon and acronyms that won't mean anything to a non-specialist recruiter.
- Be prepared to be interviewed in depth. The person interviewing you needs to know enough to represent you to a decision-maker.
- Don't forget to ask for feedback. A good recruitment consultant will be able to tell you what your CV actually says, and how it can be improved.
- You can also ask your recruitment consultant for honest feedback about your interview technique, and for inside information about the job market. Ask for feedback after an employer interview.
- Make sure you have very clear details at the end of the interview about the next steps, and keep in touch to update your consultant about changes.