Recap: Elevate Your Job Applications Today

We've all been there reading an email with the following words: "Unfortunately, you have not passed onto the next stage of the application". Now, you contemplating whether to continue with more job applications as rejections are becoming more and more common. Well, you couldn't be more wrong as there are so many strategies, tips and hidden rules which can support you in improving your job applications in turn increasing your chance of getting that acceptance email! In this insightful session, Feldon Haynes  shares actionable advice from his years working in HR and Employability to provide you with the secret recipe for building a solid job application!

1. Let's Understand ATS!

Feldon touched upon first one of the most talked about topics of late, ATS or its full name the Applicant Tracking System. As Feldon noted, the ATS is used by employers for the following:

• ATS now is used to assess your suitability as a potential fit into the company, its culture and values. It's no longer about seeing if you fit into "X" job.

• Evaluates your skills, qualifications, keywords and achievements stated in your CV and assesses how this aligns with the company's values

• ATS uses AI which screens your entire CV now and not just only to match keywords from the job description.

That is ATS. Now, the question is how do I prepare for this during my job search?

Firstly, tailor your CV to be ATS friendly ensuring that your CV doesn't get rejected straight away during the screening. Afterwards, get a close friend or family member to review your CV to ensure it is readable as the hiring manager will read your CV not just the ATS itself.

Finally, Feldon advised to research beforehand any industry-specific ATS practices when applying whether online or by asking professionals in your desired industry. This can be from keywords that they look for in CVs through to what structure is your CV meant to be in?

At Next Gen Hub, we have a guide all about making an ATS-friendly CV which you can read below:

Make Your ATS-Friendly CV TODAY!

2. Be Safe When Applying

Unfortunately, with the difficult job market we face today has led to a rise in companies, scammers and fraudsters targeting young people with the promise of a well-paying job or advertising a role which has already been filled (or planning to be filled).

There are 3 types of jobs to be wary of when applying:

Ghost Jobs	These are jobs (which do not exist or are already filled) which companies advertise to either fill a quota or show they are “providing job opportunities”
Scam Jobs	These are scams with the false promise of giving you a well-paying job (which sounds too good to be true with an unrealistically high starting salary and minimal hours). Be aware as some scam jobs might even ask you to pay money to have an interview for the job role being advertised.
Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) Schemes	A controversial variation of pyramid schemes (is illegal in some locations) where you are usually hired through word of mouth via someone in the organisation already where the sole purpose is to directly sell the product/service directly to the end consumer. According to a study of 350 MLM companies in the United States, at least 99% of recruits lose money

Some of the most common red flags Feldon highlighted included:

1. Job roles being posted up for an extremely long time (anything between many months up to a year)

2. Requests from the company for payment or your personal information (such as, specific details about yourself, your family or any other data an employer would not need to collect)

3. Vague job descriptions, salary conditions and working hours which seem "too good to be true".

For further guidance, read Next Gen Hub's blog on all things ghost jobs to keep yourself vigilant!

3. How To Stand Out In Your Applications

So, you find it difficult to stand out currently with your job applications? You can keep on editing your CV, improving your interview skills and do more research on the roles you're interested in applying for. This is all good but there are a few things you can do to elevate your applications to the next level:

• Networking, Networking and more Networking: Feldon highlighted the importance of attending local industry or business events (which are free a lot of the time) or creating your own LinkedIn profile sharing your insights into your favourite topic for example.

• Be creative in your outreach to employers: A personal case study Feldon mentioned showcased where he sent out over 100 letters to various companies and had an 86% response rate! This shows doing that something different in your applications whatever it may be can count.

• The "Doughnut" Strategy: A great example Feldon shared was how an individual sent in a box of doughnuts to a prospective employer with their CV at the bottom of the box. Well, that left a memorable impression with the employer and they remembered the individual's name when their application came up!

These stories just go to show take that calculated risk, do something different to the rest of the crowd and see how far you get. That isn't more evident than with the story of Haider Malik, a university graduate who took a bold step in his job hunt 4 years ago which you can find out more below👇

Haider Malik standing outside Canary Wharf Tube Station (Sky News)

4. Let's Make Your Job Hunt a Success!

"What's one message you want to give to our audience?"

We rounded off the webinar with a nuggets of advice from Feldon:

1. Build a supportive network around you of family, friends, professionals etc to support you through the ups and downs of the application process as you will face numerous challenges.

2. Start practicing techniques to "apply differently" whether it is through networking or being more ambitious and doing a public stand at a train station.

3. Research about the company, what is happening in the industry and follow to see what professionals in the industry are discussing to build up your industry knowledge further.

Armed with this information, go and smash that job application out of the park!

If you have any further questions or want any further advice, reach out to Feldon via his LinkedIn:

Feldon Haynes