CAREER WEBSITES

INDEX

1. Find your way through the jungle of job titles and land your dream job.

2. Discover the other side of the mirror: what recruiters do to understand and seduce you

3. Recruiters would judge books by their cover (letter)

4. How to get through applicant tracking system

5. Why do students struggle with online applications?

FIND YOUR PATH THROUGH THE JUNGLE OF JOB TITLES TO LAND YOUR DREAM JOB

So what is a job title? According to the Job Searching Expert (by the way that’s her job title) Alison Doyle it is a term that describes in a few words the position held by an employee. Job titles are more powerful than you think. They can positively influence your satisfaction or even harm your career chances in the worst case.

Written by Roman Nagiller

How do Employers use job titles

According to the namely compensation consultancy Pearl Meyer & Partners,

80% of companies use job titles to accurately reflect the corporate hierarchy

more than 92% use them to define an employee’s role.

However, only 37% of them use it to attract future talent.

London Business School professor Dan Cable notes in Harvard Business Review that companies should recognize that job titles are powerful symbols of who we are, what we can do, and what others can expect from us.

No one is a “salesman” anymore - instead you are an “account manager”

In the latest past employers perceived more and more that creative job titles can act as cheap marketing and sales tool to attract talent on the market. Unusual job

titles are especially trendy and spread among start-ups, entrepreneurs or dominant companies like Google.

Why are job titles important to your career?

You might think titles like “Account Rockstar”, “Growth Hacker” or “Programming Ninja” sounds cool. Doyle states that “your current job title not only reflects the jobs you've held, it also provides companies with information on your career level”.

But will a weird and unusual job title work for your future job search?

No, says Henry Goldbeck, president of a canadian recruiting firm. Your unusual job title guarantees your resume won’t get found in a candidate database if recruiters look for talents. So make sure you also include the more standard terms a recruiter or future employer uses to search for candidates.

Recent research even indicates that your job title can affect everything from your level of satisfaction, your mental exhaustion to your identity.

Tip: Whenever you have any say in your job title when applying for a job use the possibility to find a satisfying but also an enduring solution that will be appealing and “findable” for potential recruiters.

Keep in mind: too creative solutions not only confuse clients, but they can also seriously damage your future career chances. What is cool today could be passé tomorrow.

How you can use job titles to find your dream job

Keyword search: Use your current job title (or the title of your intended position) as keyword in job databases to find new positions. But for which job titles can I even look for? The job search engine Indeed.com can help you with a tool to find a list of related titles.

Benchmarking: Another opportunity to find accurate job titles is to visit a company’s LinkedIn page. On the right top side you find: “How you’re connected”. Click on “see all”. Now you can browse current employees and their job titles at this company.

That might help you to get an impression how the company is

structured and what kind of jobs they can offer to you. Job titles for entry level jobs

If you are at the beginning of your career a entry level job will provide a springboard to more satisfying or lucrative positions as well as to more responsibility. It gives you the opportunity to get important experience and to refine your skills as well to grow your professional network.

Here is a list of expressions that might be included in in job titles to find entry-level positions:

Coordinator, Assistant, Junior, Analyst, Trainee,

Representative, Intern

Can I change my previous job titles?

Be very careful if you want to make chances on your resume or your LinkedIn profile. When recruiters check your background or contact previous employers your job titles need to reflect your employment history correctly.

Otherwise it might be a red flag for recruiters. If you want to standardize or adjust your previous job titles make sure that your or past employers or references agree on that. And of course keep your job titles consistent over your numerous online profiles or resume.

References: https://hbr.org/2016/05/creative-job-titles-can-energize-workers http://www.eremedia.com/ere/exciting-job-titles-can-be-powerful-recruiting-and-retention-tools/ http://www.fastcompany.com/3035359/hit-the-ground-running/why-your-job-title-means-a-lot-more-than-you-think https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140714175706-27654892-your-wackadoo-job-title-guarantees-your-resume-won-t-get-found http://fortune.com/2015/04/07/why-unusual-job-titles-are-bad-for-you-and-your-company/ http://jobsearch.about.com/od/job-titles/a/job-titles.htm http://jobsearch.about.com/od/best-jobs/a/best-entry-level-jobs.htm http://jobsearch.about.com/od/jobsbycareerfieldaz/a/topsbytype.htm

DISCOVER THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR: WHAT RECRUITERS DO TO UNDERSTAND AND SEDUCE YOU

Finding the right career and getting a job is extremely complex for candidates. But you are not the only one struggling! Recruiting and attracting the right talent is complicated for companies as well. They often recruit under a lot of time and budget pressure, and in the meantime they know that recruiting the wrong person might cost an enormous amount of money to the company.

Written by Antoine Lhosmot We are in touch with multiple professionals that are trying to make your life and recruiters’ lives easier, and we want to introduce them to you. Thanks to this article, you will better understand the other side of the mirror… and even better tailor your application knowing this reality.

Campus managers, your first interlocutor

You probably know them already, in order to help you discover company career opportunities and what a company does, businesses are hiring a specialized team of campus managers. They are usually generalists with knowledge of both the big picture and the way you should apply. Never miss an opportunity to meet them on campus. They are usually accompanied by professionals that are, for one day with you, the ambassador of their job.

Employer branding, at the crossroads of recruitment and communication

In order to provide the right communication tools to these campus managers and facilitate a smooth transition to the recruiters taking care of your application, companies have recently developed departments focused on “Employer Branding.”

Usually, there is even an Employer Branding Director who is working closely with internal communications, external communications and human resources. Their mission is to permanently make sure the company is a good employer, in line with the job market standards as much as with your young generation expectations.

These employer branding departments often have HR community managers. They are the digital equivalent of campus managers and they are here to reply to your requests and

questions on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and all other channels used by the company. Get in touch with them as well and include them in your network!

DISCOVER MORE

Application form, why do companies outsource their system?

Once you have discovered an employer, looked at their job offers and learned more about its opportunities, it is time to apply. And here… bad surprise, all application forms look the same. It is even sometimes impossible to recognize the design of the company’s website.

Welcome to what companies call the “ATS”, or Applicant Tracking System. If it looks similar for a lot of companies, it is indeed because they outsource this technology and pay providers such as Taleo, SAP or Talentsoft. The advantage for companies is to be able to review a huge number of applications, across countries, within the same database. The advantage for candidates is to be able to apply to several jobs within the same company and eventually to track their application status.

Identify company ambassadors, network with them, and show you are a fit…

As you can see, in order to reach you, help you and give you a chance to be selected, multiple employees are involved from campus relations to recruitment, from employer branding to talent acquisition. This new dimension of HR leads to a few useful tips we wanted to share with you:

Culture fit is more and more important for companies who want to make sure you will be happy within the company. It is more than a matter of hard skills. Take time to take the temperature and see if you would match with the company life and values.

In the long term, companies are more and more looking for employees that will also be great ambassadors online, for their job, for their company. When you apply, show them that you could help thanks to a good presence on social media (A Twitter account, a blog…) and an active network (LinkedIn, friends and family…).

RECRUITERS WOULD JUDGE BOOKS BY THEIR COVER (LETTERS)

Writing a compelling cover letter can be the best way to stick out from the crowd. It could otherwise be a non-factor in a hiring decision, or worse, a reason to pass on you. Here are some tips to stick out.

Written by Greg Wells

What is the point of a cover letter anyway? Why bother? The recruiter has your resume don’t they? The cover letter actually serves a couple of purposes for recruiters. The first thing is it gives them a better idea of your personality, which might help them understand how you might fit in on the team. Second, it gives them an idea of whether you have done your homework for the position you are applying for.

The purpose therefore, is for you to communicate generally what you will contribute to a new company in a way that adds NEW information to your resume, and whether you actually understand the position you are applying for. Keeping this purpose in mind, here are some tips for you to excel.

1. Keep it to one page, 3 or 4 paragraphs, and proofread

If it is too long it won’t be read. You should have one paragraph offering some explanation for why you are applying for this position, a second paragraph

talking about why you are the right person for the role, a third paragraph (really just one sentence) thanking the recruiter for considering you.

2. Specificity and storytelling win points and differentiate

It is pretty likely that if you are applying for a job then you are applying to more than 1 position. However, a cut and paste cover letter will at best be boring, at worst it may actually detract from the content if it is too clearly the same one you use for every position.

This is especially true for the first paragraph. Talk about why you have picked this position and this organization. What drew you to them, what excites you about the role? Also, be specific in who you address the cover letter to. If you don’t know who the hiring manager is, see if you can’t figure it out using LinkedIn.

3. Talk about your soft skills with specific examples

Your resume is designed to give specifics about what you have accomplished, but the cover letter is your chance to highlight your most relevant qualities.

Build off the specificity of your first paragraph by subtly highlighting those qualities that match with what they are seeking in the job ad.

4. Sign off with a thank you

Thank your recruiter for considering you and indicate your excitement in hearing from them soon.

THE PERFECT COVER LETTER

An example:

Dear Ben and Jerry,

I have enjoyed Ben and Jerry’s ice-cream for as long as I can remember, so I am excited to apply to be part of your team. The role of Chief New Flavor Creator has actually been an aspiration of mine for quite some time, and my perspective as a customer first, will help me make a quick impact, as I already value the priorities of the company.

My past experience as an ice cream eater makes me well suited for this position. I have tasted well over 15 new flavors of ice cream so far this year, and I have a natural taste for innovative combinations. I am also a leader. This year I have already led my friends to ice cream stores 21 times, and have also encouraged team members to develop their palettes. Finally, as a Chief New Flavor Creator, I understand the importance of creativity. As the inventor of my own peanut butter and honey ice cream flavor, I have a proven track record of the kind of innovation needed in this position.

Thank you for considering me for this position. I hope to hear back from you soon!

Sincerely,

Greg

References: https://www.themuse.com/advice/5-secrets-to-making-your-cover-letter-stand-out https://www.theguardian.com/careers/covering-letter-examples http://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2014/02/06/the-cover-letters-that-make-hiring-managers-smile-then-call-you/#15695dc058f5 https://www.themuse.com/advice/5-ways-your-cover-letter-lost-you-the-job

HOW TO GET THROUGH APPLICANT TRACKING SYSTEM

How do get through the Applicant Tracking System? These four tips will help you make sure your application impresses the robot first to reach the actual recruiter and land you your dream job.

Written by Teresa Harbeck

It's all about keywords

If you nail all the right keywords you have a good chance to make it to the recruiter. Usually recruiters program the system to look out for certain phrases, job titles and keywords. Examples for this kind of keywords: Social Media Marketing, Financial Analysis, Adobe Photoshop.

Keep it simple!

Depending on the job you are applying to you might want to show creativity in your CV. Unfortunately the ATS might not appreciate that and even kick you out because of a fancy formatting. Make sure to keep it simple. Stick to common fonts like Times New Roman, Arial or Courier.

These are readable by any system. In worst-case scenario the ATS will be confused and decide that your application is irrelevant. The career objectives section is a waste of space for most systems but you can keep it in for the recruiter. Be aware however that most robots are not able to read this paragraph.

Use common formatting

Although most ATS Providers have become better in reading PDFs it is safer to use Word-Templates or paste your CV directly if offered. Make paragraphs like Education, Professional Experience, Personal Information to help the system to find the relevant information and push you forward.

Check your spelling

This tip might sound obvious but before submitting your application you should have someone look for spelling mistakes!

TRICK THE ROBOT

Always remember: It is a computer reading your CV - if a word is misspelled it will simply not know what you mean and disqualify you. Give your resume to your friends and parents just to make sure its triple checked. Take your time,, it’s worth it!

Applicant Tracking Systems much like search algorithms are starting to develop serious skills. While they were only able to detect certain

keywords and phrases, they start contextualizing now. This means they are able to relate certain content to its surrounding. So it’s not only about your "Project Management" skills anymore but also in which position you did acquire them. Of course recruiters need to save time with the pre-selection.

The mistakes a computer can make however can be very upsetting.

Recent studies found out that minor mistakes in the formatting made it impossible for the software to paint a proper picture of a candidate - and therefore dismissed him/her.

46% of applicants have already given up on an online application. So if the ATS frustration hits you, always remember the words of famous engineer and roboticist Vijay Kumar: "Robots are good at things that are structured."

References: https://www.themuse.com/advice/beat-the-robots-how-to-get-your-resume-past-the-system-into-human-hands http://lifehacker.com/5866630/how-can-i-make-sure-my-resume-gets-past-resume-robots-and-into-a-humans-hand https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20141102153723-6609866-robots-are-reading-your-resume-ats-part-1

WHY DO STUDENTS STRUGGLE WITH ONLINE APPLICATIONS?

According to your answers to 2015’s Potentialpark survey*, an average of 46% of students and young graduates had given up on an online application. Companies see this percentage when they check the ratio between how many people clicked on "APPLY" and how many applications they actually got in.

Written by Guillaume Caramalli Today's Status Quo

It all starts when you see a job ad that might interest you. You have been telling us for years that you don't find those amazing. They all look the same and do not always make you want to apply. Quite often they are re-used again and again, with recruiters adapting them to stick to the managers' guidelines who is always in a hurry to recruit.

The recruiter does not take time to make a nice job offer. Plus they are not marketers, are they?

Therefore you end up with a classic, boring job offers that fits into the format proposed by the ATS (this big machine that will digest your résumé word by word and enables the recruiter to source candidates).

Then candidates apply, thinking "Why not ? If I'm lucky, you never know...". If you really need an internship badly you fill it all up and start praying once you receive the infamous automated email "Thank you for applying. If you don't hear back from our side within 2 weeks, consider your application rejected."

If you are not that much in a hurry, or if the application process is too long or does not work, you might as well give up. Research by Potentialpark* shows that approximately 1 out of 2 candidates have already done.

All in all, it goes fine this way, recruiters get applications in, sometimes too many, sometimes not really relevant ones, but since they are in a hurry they do it this way and it goes on and on.

How do you make it change ?

It is not really ideal though. You would much rather have clearer job ads, so that you don't waste your time applying if you know you are not a good fit. Also, a shorter, nicer application process that works and does not ask you the same stuff over and over again. Even better, have an original process that actually makes you stand out !

But how?

KNOW WHAT TO DO

Keep giving up, then give up some more!

Companies measure their return on investment. They act upon that number and almost only that number.

They compare the number of applications with the dropout rate of applicants. And when those are bad, things change! If this gap gets too big, meaning if many people who apply don’t submit their application, they might actually do something.

Some companies do not understand it though. Some even say they are happy about it, that it is a good thing! If candidates do not go to the end of our application it is because they are not motivated enough! Is it true though? Is it because you are not willing to spend enough time and effort on an online application or is it because you have better things to do than filling the mandatory field "home phone number"?

Recruiters need it all

The thing is that recruiters gather all the information they can get, so

that they can sort the candidates afterwards. Too bad if some give up in the meantime, at least they will not have to come back to ask you more stuff if they think one application is worth going to a next stage.

Someone has to collect the data. Either you make the effort to give it all during the first stage of your application, or recruiters will have to come and get the information later. As of now, many companies prefer candidates to make all the work in

the beginning and then recruiters just have to sort.

What a waste of your time!

To top it all off, your résumé might not even be read by a real person, but only stored in a machine! (link to Entrypark article about that).

Do you want to be filtered out because you are not willing to waste your time on a boring application form, or rather be selected because of your good grades, your amazing experience abroad and you last internships?

Change is coming

Companies start realizing that they do miss out on a lot of candidates. They start seeing that if you give up on an application, it is because you are sick of it and you might as well just go apply for their competitor.

Then, they start changing their processes and they start making it more transparent.

Research done by Potentialpark* shows that more and more of you love this transparency. That this becomes one of the main reason to go on a career website.

If you want to see companies showing such information, like...

Why should you join the company?

How much are you going to earn?

How long does it take to apply and when can you expect an answer?

How many interviews will you have to go through?

Then you know what to do... Give up, give up, give up!

References: * Potentialpark Online Talent Communication Study 2016.