Another year, another Valentine’s Day where thousands of people all over the country are planning special dates or looking for that perfect individual to spend the day with. As an experienced Vancouver-based recruitment agency, we couldn’t help noticing the similarities between Valentine’s day and recruitment! After all, they both involve the search for ‘the one’. If you are a candidate looking for that perfect job, here are a few tips that can be transferred from the dating realm to help you find ‘the one’.
Research
This definitely applies to candidates who are in the job-hunting process. The key to succeeding in an interview is to ensure that you research the company you are trying to join! What is the company’s history, reviews and social media sites like? Just like dating, you would do some light research to see what common interests you have to keep the conversation flowing!
Perfect your profile
With over 64% of Canadians owning a LinkedIn profile, it’s time to review your profile and ensure it is optimized to its full potential. When it comes to your profile picture it’s important to keep this simple and professional. When in doubt, consider getting a professional set of headshots taken. Sometimes, LinkedIn representatives will take a free professional headshot of you if they are conducting career seminars in your local area! Other things to keep in mind include layout and spelling/grammatical errors. Cluttered layout and typos can be off putting for an employer looking to hire. Also ensure you review your privacy settings! Failing to do so may result in awkward situations such as your employer realizing you are actively job seeking. You may also want to check if your profile is selected as anonymous or not when viewing other profiles.
It’s all about the spark!
Relationships thrive on this and so can your job! Ensuring a culture fit is on point is so important. You might tick every box with regards to qualifications and experience but if you feel you aren’t going to fit in with the company culture, then this is a red flag. Often companies have a strongly defined company culture and they’re looking for someone who is perfectly aligned with that. Keep searching, and you’ll eventually find the ‘spark’!
Prepare yourself.
Fail to prepare and prepare to fail! Just like going on a first date, if you are a jobseeker attending an interview, ensure that you have researched the venue and directions so you know where you are going and can arrive punctually. When it comes to dress, plan your outfit in advance of the interview so you don’t have to stress about it on the day. Business attire is the most common go-to attire so dressing in this nature will show that you are taking the interview seriously.
Follow up in a timely manner
Everyone’s had the experience of not knowing how long you should leave it until you contact someone after the first date. You don’t want to come across as too keen, but you don’t want your date to think you weren’t interested. In recruitment, the unwritten rules aren’t quite so restrictive. It’s always encouraged to follow up after an interview – perhaps not the following day, but certainly within the following week. A follow-up can keep you in the forefront of the employer’s mind when it comes to inviting candidates for a second interview, and it shows that you’re enthusiastic about the role. Don’t worry about coming across as too eager – make sure they know you’re interested!
Relax
This is the most important thing to remember throughout the interview and dating process. Make sure that you are putting your true self forward by being relaxed. If you are feeling nervous or need someone to run through your experience with, remember, our recruiters will be there for you every step of the way!