What a Recruiter Would Recommend to a Job Seeker

Imagine you’re a high end professional that decides to move to another country to learn a new language and start your career again… This situation is faced by many immigrants in Canada who have immigrated for the College experience.
However, the first concern is – “how can I find a job?”. The market holds many sources for it but for a high-end professional, then Linkedin is so far the best way to get a chance to get hired in your field. But how can we make our profile stand out in the market? That’s the main goal for most of us and I got a great opportunity to interview a recruiter in Canada with more than 10 years of experience hiring people across Canada.
His name is Mr. James Machado who kindly shared with me some perspectives of job seekers and also provided points of view from recruiters. Something that I could say in advance is that I learned so much from Mr. Machado about how recruiters are facing some situations from job seekers. Let’s take a look at all the points of the interview and get to a conclusion.
1. As a recruiter, what do you look for in a candidate’s Linkedin profile?
“First thing is the experience and then other things. Depends on the market the candidate is looking for. So, target your profile for the market and the position you’re looking for and ensure that the work experience is related to the job position.”
2. When a candidate is from another country, what would you like to see in their Linkedin profile?
“It’s very important that they are looking for a specific job they target. Don’t do a “universal” resume like a generic CV. Make sure your CV appeals to that specific position and do it by bullet points.”
3. Is it important to show some numbers or achievements?
“Depends on the position and how you are going to sell yourself, but it’s very important! If you’re looking for an accounting position you should show some numbers to explain what you can do. If you’re an architect, show your projects. For a web designer, it’s very important to show one’s portfolio that has been developed.”
4. Is it important to match all skills to the position or can you choose a candidate with fewer skills?
“The skillset is very important and also the way that you show the skills. You can show your skills using KEYWORDS. If you have delivered exceptional customer service, customer service keyword must be there. If you work with a specific program as AUTOCAD, the keyword must be there as a keyword and also some projects as an example.”
5. About resume and cover letter, what can we do to make our profiles stand out to recruiters?
“As a recruiter, we look for someone very personalized. It means personalized yourself and experience to match that job and requirements for that job. If you are serious about your job search: First, you have to study that field; Second, you have to know what the company is looking for; Third, read the job requirements properly.”
6. As a recruiter, what kind of tips could you give?
“You should go back to the basics! First part: Be on time, be well presented to the interview, and make sure that your deadlines are met. Last part: Be charismatic, engage in the conversation, don’t be too long, get to the point, and wait for the right time to talk.”
Never give too much and never talk too much either, just give enough.