If you are currently job searching, a survey from recruiting experts Hays identifies three crucial factors that will help you make a shortlist.
Of the more than 1,100 employers Hays spoke to, 51 per cent nominated industry experience as the key factor that helps a candidate stand out from the crowd right now.
This was closely followed by cultural fit (50 per cent) and a good CV with relevant experience (39 per cent).
“Employers are less willing to take a chance on someone at the moment, so you need to make sure you highlight relevant applicable industry experience on your CV,” advises Nick Deligiannis, Managing Director of Hays in Australia & New Zealand, in relation to the findings.
“Cultural fit is essential too, which is why it’s important to research a hiring organisation’s culture and values then share in your CV and in an interview examples that demonstrate how your way of working is aligned with theirs.
“You must also highlight your relevant experience. Employers today want proof that you could do the job well. They aren’t willing to take a chance on an unproven performer, which is why it’s important to demonstrate the relevance of your experience and the value you could bring to their organisation.
“One way to prove the relevance of your experience in your CV is to add quantifiable evidence. Ultimately, impactful numbers are very compelling in the context of a CV and allow you to undeniably prove that your experience makes you the right person for the job.
“There are a lot of ways you could quantify and prove the relevance of your experience,” explains Nick. “For example, you could state the percentage increase in new sales, clients or website visitors you were responsible for, the number of team members or projects you’ve managed, the volume of work you delivered in a given timeframe, your response rate for queries or the number of customers you typically served.
“The staff retention or promotion rates within your team, the number of stakeholders you’ve worked with, the number of projects delivered ahead of time, the impact of process improvements you’ve made, the number of meetings you chair, any cost or time reductions achieved or the number of new skills or awards you’ve received are other examples,” he said
