The latest trend in recruitment seems to be putting a photo of yourself on your CV.  The majority of the population hate having their photos taken, are naturally critical of themselves, and generally object to this.  I have to admit, if I was in your shoes, I would too!  But the reality is, that employers want these photos, so it may help you to understand why, and what your ideal photo should look like.

 

 

WHY PUT A PHOTO ON YOUR CV?

I cannot speak for every recruiter, and certainly I am sure that there are those people that are asking for photos for the wrong reasons.  RESOURCE recruitment does not ask for a photo when you apply for a job through us, but we take one at the interview, which we put on your CV that we will send to our clients.

We started this process a year or two ago, for internal purposes.  Many people are visual, and it helped us remember the candidate, a year or two down the line.  Clients then started requesting photos.  When they are interviewing several people in one day, it helps to look back on the CV and photo, to recall and reflect on the interviews.  Clients will also phone us three months down the line, and say, “Remember we interviewed that lady for the sales position, and she was not suitable.  Well another position has opened up, that she would be perfect for!  She was the one with the really cool afro.”  A glance at a photo, and they know they have the right person.

 

But probably the most important reason for putting a photo on your CV is that it makes your CV personal.  It makes a piece of paper, a person.  The candidates getting short listed, are the ones with pictures on their CV, it is not because of their good looks!  Last week we placed a senior bookkeeper.  All the applicants happened to be between 55 and 59 years of age.  One of the applicants did not want a photo taken for their CV (which we respect).  When the client short listed candidates for interviews, he asked to see all the candidates except the one without a photo.  When I asked him why he did not want to see her, he replied, “I don’t know.  I don’t get a good feeling about her CV.  Let’s see the others first.”

 

THE DO’S AND DON’T’S OF PROFILE PICTURES

Here are a few common mistakes to watch out for when putting a profile picture on your CV.  Always remember the aim- to market yourself as a professional, not to win admirers and friends.

Blurry or Too Small

Ideally your photo should be 200 x 200 pixels or larger. Anything smaller and you’re guaranteed to end up with a fuzzy or teeny tiny image If possible chose a square head shot, as it will work with other social media accounts.

Too Close or Too Far Away

Stick with a standard head shot for your profile pic. Prospective employers won’t be able to identify you from a picture too far away.

The Group Shot

Remember, this picture is supposed to represent your professional brand – no one else’s. Don’t make recruiters guess which person you are in the photo. Use an image that shows you and only you.

The Crop

Cropping yourself out of the group shot doesn’t work either. While it may be your favorite picture, no one wants to see half of your loved one’s face or your best friend’s hair on your shoulder.

Too Serious

Opt for photos where you’re looking at the camera and smiling. You want to appear friendly and approachable.

Goofy Expressions

Remember, this image is supposed to represent your professional brand. When you look at your profile photo, does it send the same message as your resume?  This includes NO pouty lips!!

No props, baby pics and pets.

Save these cute pics with your toddler or puppy for your personal social-media channels such as Facebook or Instagram. Make sure that you are not holding alcohol or cigarettes, and that you don’t have any props in the picture indicating that you are off to do something, such as a motor bike helmet or fishing rod.  Stick to a photo of yourself for your professional profiles.

No Selfies

This is a professional photo of you.  Ask some to take it, rather that have your hand shooting out the corner of the photo.

Backgrounds Count

Before you put a photo of you in a nightclub, or most commonly a bathroom, think about the impression this makes.  Either a neutral background is good, or alternatively at your desk or in a professional setting is always good.

Dress to impress

Dress in appropriate work clothes.  No evening dresses, wedding gowns, bikini tops, topless men or sky diving suites if you want to be taken seriously.

 

It’s totally up to you if you put a picture on your CV or not, but if you are going to, make sure that like all things when looking for a new job, it markets you the way you want to be viewed by prospective employees.

 

 

 

Thirteen years ago when I started RESOURCE recruitment, I advertised every Sunday in the Sunday Newspaper, and the phones rang off the hook with people applying for jobs on a Monday morning.  Today, I cannot remember the last time that I placed a job advert in print media.

Now Mondays are about dealing with hundreds of email applications in our inboxes.

 

With recruitment trends taking such a rapid new course in recent years to e-recruitment and networking, I thought that I would share some information on Job Portals, how they work and a few tips on how to make them work for you!

 

What is a JOB PORTAL?

Simply put, a Job Portal is a website that job seekers can post their details (CV), and recruiters can post their vacancies and search for potential employees.  There are literally hundreds of job portals out there- some free and some charge employers to access the candidate pool.  As a Job Seeker you register your details on a Job Portal, and in most (but not all) only employment agencies that subscribe to the service can access your personal details, thus protecting you from your current employer finding your details on line.

Growth in online recruitment activities in 2015

In 2015 there was a 25% growth in the number of jobs being posted on line, and one service provider reported more than 600 000 new CV’s being posted to their site last year.  50% of the Job Seekers on these portals are reported to be between 26-35 years of age, and 20% between 18-25 years.

 

The five sectors that are highest in demand on the portals are reported to be Finance/ Account, followed by IT, Sales, Engineering and Administration.  There was a growth of over 33% in management positions being posted on websites in 2015.

 

CREATING & MAINTAINING AN ON LINE PROFILE

Like all things on the Internet and related to Social Media, it is important that you keep your profile active and up to date.  As discussed in last month’s newsletter, if you are going to do anything, do it 100%, so with this in mind:- set a goal to check your On Line Profile once a month to make sure that it is up to date.  I have also had job seekers complain that some of the portals take a long time to upload their details.  If this is the case, then use this monthly check as an opportunity to complete your profile as comprehensively as possible.

 

Here are five tips to help you get the most out of Job Portals:-

1. Input as much information as possible.

Creating a profile is no different from creating a CV.  If the experience is not on your CV or profile, you never did it!  With portals, this is even more significant.  When a researched looks for a potential candidate for a position, they put in key words.  The Portal then searches the data base of profiles and CV’s and comes back with the most suitable applicants.  If I am looking for an Executive Secretary that has worked on SAP, arranged events and done minute taking and Dictaphone typing, I am going to search the following words, “SAP, Events, Minute Taking, Dictaphone Typing” and those people that have all these words in their application will come up as a 100% match.  If your application is incomplete, even though you are a perfect candidate, you will not come up in my search.

 

2. Update your skills

Keep your profile up to date.  Have you changed jobs, moved hour/ areas, taken on more responsibilities?  You may be missing opportunities for these reasons.  Also, each time you update your profile, recruiters can see, and this tells them that you are an active job seeker.  Some portals offer recruiters the option that they only see candidates that have been active (created or updated their profiles) in the last six months.

 

3. Keep it brief and to the point

As much as I want you to put as much detail as possible, remember to keep to the point, list information in point form and avoid subjective phrases like:-  “I work well within a team”; “I’m motivated”; “I have a proven track record”;  “I’m a fantastic communicator”;  “I thrive in fast-paced environments”.  This is to discuss in the interview- it won’t get you the interview.

 

4. Attach a copy of your updated CV

One thing that I have never been able to understand in all my years in recruitment, is why do Job Seekers go to so much effort to apply for jobs…. And then use an astonishingly unprofessional CV that has been scanned through a fax machine (or are low resolution photos from a cell phone that you cannot read on a PC), with scribbled notes on it, a coffee mug stain in the corner and looks like it was kept in the bottom of someone handbag?  If you are guilty of this, I cannot stress how important it is to take a few minutes to retype your CV and save it as a PDF document.  It will be the most important thing you do in this process.  When I look at a CV, I assume that it is an indication of the applicants pride in, and quality of work, that they would produce if I employed them.

 

5. Keep your personal information consistent with other websites

Use the same name for your Job Portal Profile that you’ve used on your LinkedIn, Twitter and any other social media platforms that you are using in your job seeking efforts.  Remember to include contact details, but not personal details.

 

WHAT JOB PORTALS DO YOU FIND THE BEST, AND WHAT IS YOUR IMPRESSION OF THIS MEANS OF FINDING A JOB?

We would love to hear from you, and share with other job seekers which Job Portals you think are the best- those that are the easiest to use and have the most vacancies.  Email us or post on our Facebook Group to share with other job seekers.  (https://www.facebook.com/groups/493969644105386/?ref=bookmarks)