The Secret Job Search Tip I Used To Get My Dream Job

In this blog post, I share my secret job search tip that I’ve used to get my last three roles. This is the no 1 strategy that gets me an interview for my dream job.

The secret job search tip to get your dream job

This is the secret job search tip that I use to get an interview when I see a job advertised online that looks perfect for me. You know the one, it seems like it was written for you. You’re checking jobs on Indeed.co.uk or your favourite online job site and you see the job advert, and you say; “That’s my dream job. It’s got MY name on it”.

A little about me

I was a no 1 recruiter for 5 years, and I know how recruiters work and the challenges they face when searching for the perfect candidate for their client.

If you follow Work It Sister, you will see that I share insider tips on my blog posts. It’s this insider knowledge that helps me to get MY dream jobs.

I’m also a regular job seeker just like you. I’m a contract Learning Manager, and I work on short-term 1-year projects. I have looked for a new role 7 times over the last 7 years. That’s right I’m a job seeker on a yearly basis so I’m an old hand at this and I use my insider knowledge to work the system and get interviews for the jobs that are perfect for me.

To understand this particular job strategy I’ll explain how recruiters work.

Most recruiters post their advertisement for a role on one online application that pushes it out to advertise on approximately 10 or more job sites. That’s why you will often see the same position advertised in more than one place by the same recruiter.

You may also see the same role advertised by different recruiters from different companies as they often compete against each other to fill the same position for the same client.

Recruiters literally get hundreds of applicants from multiple sites and as they compete to fill the role they like to work quickly and get back to their client as fast as they can.

You apply for a job online and this is what the recruiter sees in their inbox

So you’ve found the perfect job advertised. It’s like it was written JUST FOR YOU! You apply for the role through the job site.

Here’s what the recruiter sees in their inbox:

• Advert12345 Jobsite1Candidate1Role”Learning Manager”
• Advert12345 Jobsite1Candidate2Role”Learning Manager”
• Advert12345 Jobsite1Candidate3Role”Learning Manager”
• Advert12345 Jobsite1Candidate4Role”Learning Manager”
• Advert12345 Jobsite1Candidate5Role”Learning Manager”
• Advert12345 Jobsite1Candidate6Role”Learning Manager”
• Advert12345 Jobsite1Candidate7Role”Learning Manager”
• Advert12345 Jobsite2Candidate1Role”Learning Manager”
• Advert12345 Jobsite2Candidate2Role”Learning Manager”

A recruiter sees lots of applications with a similar subject line although times this by 200 which can be a more realistic daily application number for any role that’s advertised online.

Note here – nothing stands out does it???

How a recruiter selects candidates from their inbox

Most recruiters will post the advert then work the job immediately as they want to secure the right candidate so that they can put them forward to their client before another recruitment agency. So you need to stand out! Plus the job advert will be running overnight and the recruiter knows that lots of people will apply for the job overnight, and then in the morning there will be a big pool of candidates to choose from and a good percentage of having a perfect candidate in the pool.

The recruiter arrives at work the next day at 9am with an inbox full of potential candidates – let’s say 200 fresh applications, so there is bound to be 1 or 2 people in there that are right for the role.

The recruiter will generally work their way from the top down, that’s right if you’ve just applied for the role at 9am you have a good chance that the recruiter will see your application, open it and read your resume.

That’s why I apply for roles either:

• When I first see it advertised if it’s in working hours as there’s a chance the recruiter is working on that role
• in the morning from about 8am to 10am as I know there’s a higher chance of my application been seen by the recruiter rather than applying during the evening.

Recruiters don’t always read every application/resume so you need to stand out!

How to get noticed by the recruiter

Your ultimate aim when you start to look for a new role is to be the perfect candidate. I write more about becoming the perfect candidate here.

• How to Get the Job You Want and Earn More!

If you are the perfect candidate and recruiters can find you, then you will get put forward for more interviews and have a more significant chance of getting the job you want. Why? It’s because you are making the recruiter’s job easy for them.

Recruiters are busy, and they want to find you quickly, send you for an interview, place you in your new position and move on! They are usually juggling lots of live vacancies and only have time to deal with perfect candidates.

You’ll need a banging resume and Linkedin profile to be the perfect candidate so check these out:

• How To Write a Killer Resume
• How to Create a Linkedin Profile Recruiters Love in 11 Easy Steps

This no 1 secret job search tip will get you noticed by the recruiter – if you are the perfect candidate, the recruiter will call you immediately.

Here’s what you do –

1) You apply for the job online either during working hours or between 8am and 10am ideally to be at the top of the recruiter’s inbox

2) Then send a linkedin request to the recruiter and introduce yourself as a good fit for their role

3) Then send a separate email to the recruiter with your resume again either during working hours or between 8am and 10am with the subject line: “Role Name, e.g. Learning Manager – Your Name available now – a great fit for your role.”

What the recruiter will see now in their inbox:

• Advert12345 Jobsite1Candidate1Role”Learning Manager”
• Advert12345 Jobsite1Candidate2Role”Learning Manager”
• Advert12345 Jobsite1Candidate3Role”Learning Manager”
• Advert12345 Jobsite1Candidate4Role”Learning Manager”
• Learning Manager – Jo available now – a great fit for your role
• Advert12345 Jobsite1Candidate6Role”Learning Manager”
• Advert12345 Jobsite1Candidate7Role”Learning Manager”
• Advert12345 Jobsite2Candidate1Role”Learning Manager”
• Advert12345 Jobsite2Candidate2Role”Learning Manager”

Your email will be hard to resist for the recruiter – all they want to do is quickly find the perfect candidate that is a good fit for their role.

This is the wording that I prefer to use but you may wish to change it slightly. I try not to sound too pushy as I do genuinely just want to stand out at this stage and get the recruiter to open my email and read my resume first.

The recruiter will read my email which in 3 or 4 short lines I explain why I think I am a good fit for this role.  Then they will open my resume and decide if I’m the perfect candidate. If they like what they see they will call me immediately and as I’ll already have my job search elevator pitch ready and well practised I should have no problem getting an interview.

A word of caution

Only use this strategy if the job is perfect for you. It won’t work otherwise, and you will run the risk of losing credibility with the recruiter which can harm your opportunities for future roles.

Here’s a test to check if you should use this strategy.

Can you answer yes to these four questions about this role:

1. Does this genuinely feel like this role is written for you?
2. Are you a subject matter expert in this field?
3. Does your resume and Linkedin profile tell the recruiter that you are a subject matter expert in this field?
4. Does the language you’ve used on your resume and Linkedin profile match the job advertisement?

In your job search, I recommend that you use all of the usual job search strategies and use this secret job search tip when you find your perfect role advertised online.

YOU GOT THIS!

Let me know how you get on! This job search strategy worked for me. What’s your most successful job strategy?

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