Here is a fantastic example of how Alec Brownstein an advertising creative in New York did just that – by targeting creative directors in the agencies he wanted to work with in Google AdWords…

He created five ads, got four interviews and ended up with a job at one of the agencies. Total outlay: US$6.

The old stalwarts of recruitment are still important – so don’t throw that CV away just yet, but with up to 80% of employers looking online to source talent you’d be mad to ignore the potential. Go on, get creative… and let us know how you get on in the comments .

Image by Olivier Charavel via Flickr

While economies around the globe lumber painfully out of recession, and there are signs of improvement on the jobs front, finding and getting the right job for you in today’s market is still incredibly challenging. With spring around the corner now is the perfect time to break out the metaphorical duster and give your job-seekers tool kit a much needed spring clean. It may be just the edge you need to land your perfect job.

Polish that CV

When was the last time you took a good long look at your CV to make sure it’s both up-to-date and up-to-scratch? Fish it out now, and go through every little detail to make sure it’s accurate and current. Don’t forget that both the information and the way its presented needs to be tailored to the sort of jobs you’re looking for. If you’re looking for more than one type of job, you probably need more than one type of CV — so create templates for each based on your generic master copy to suit the jobs you want to apply for.

Contact your referees

If you’ve listed references on your applications or have mentioned that they’re “available on request” on your CV, take a few moments to actually make contact with your nominated referees and let them know that you’re looking for a job. That way any request for a reference won’t come “out-of-the-blue”, and they’ll be more prepared to deliver that glowing reference that will set you apart from other candidates. Are the references you have listed the best ones… are are their contact details up-to-date, or would you be better off replacing some of them entirely?

Hone your online profile

When you’re looking for a job it’s no good hiding yourself away… the more places people can see you, yours skills, experience and expertise the better. The Internet is a massive boon to job seekers in that respect, and making sure your online profile on professional networking sites like Linkedin (www.linkedin.com) adds very significant visibility to your skillset.

Don’t just throw up a Linkedin profile and forget about it… actively connect with existing contacts and seek out new ones in your field. Ask people who’ve worked with you to write recommendations, join and participate in groups and discussions relevant to your industry and expertise: showcase your knowledge.

Most of all, tell people you’re actively seeking work, and in what particular field (just remember, if you’re already in a job, your current employer may well be looking at LinkedIn too) — spread the word, and ask others to do the same… the results might be surprising.

Network, network, network

The importance of effective networking, be it online or off-line, really can’t be overstated when it comes to job-hunting. Your personal network, and the extended network beyond them, offer an enormous pool of potential advice, job leads, introductions and more to help you find the perfect role. But you have to work at it! Use e-mail, phone calls, online messaging tools, coffee, lunch, appointments and meetings to reinforce and extend your professional network at every opportunity. The effort you put in is never wasted… and who knows, the next contact you make could really help you with your job search.

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In a few short years the employment market has been turned on its head. From a position that was biased in favour of candidates during the halcyon days when the Celtic Tiger roared, job seekers today find themselves facing an employment market that’s very much skewed towards the employer.

With a broader selection of  candidates employers can afford to be choosy, and more demanding. It’s not unusual today for employers to include a long list of requirements in their job descriptions, things like a certain amount of experience in a particular industry sector, knowledge of an obscure programming language and fluency in a particular language. With so many people applying for every job advertised at the moment there’s a fairly good chance they’ll tick all of their boxes.

It’s a frustrating dilemma for countless candidates who know they could do a particular job, but fall short on one or two of the listed criteria. At the other end of the scale you’ll find the equally frustrated, highly educated and / or experienced candidates who find themselves overqualified for the jobs available. Employers are wary, perhaps with good reason, that while these individuals are happy to accept the job in the current climate, they’ll quickly abandon their post in search of greener pastures when the economy picks up.

So how can you beat the odds and convince  a company to hire you under- or overqualified for the job?

• Make it personal: if your only contact with your prospective employer is a faceless electronic application you’re out of luck. Faced with hundreds of applications, HR professionals will narrow the field ruthlessly based on the criteria specified in the job description. Your only hope is to make a contact inside the organisation — scour your network, and ask for an introduction. If you’re introduced to the person doing the hiring by someone they know, that establishes a foundation of trust you can build on.
• Highlight your transferable skills: don’t be bashful… when you get that introduction play to your strengths, and explain how successes and skills from your former work are directly transferable to the position you’re applying for.
• Show you’re a team player: if you have direct contact with the hiring manager, you can use your interaction with them to demonstrate how co-operative, affable and flexible you are… any employer will value someone they know will slot into their team without disruption. This is particularly important if you’re over-qualified.
• Keep it real: however alluring it may be, given the circumstances, don’t be tempted to lie on your CV, either to boost your skills and experience or to play them down. Tell the truth — you can be as creative as you like in the way you interpret it… but don’t falsify or omit significant information in your application. Doing so could be grounds for dismissal if you end up getting the job.

“I’ve been working consistently since I was 17,” said Niall, “so being suddenly out of work with a family to support was a bit of a shock to the system.”

While searching for work himself, Niall realised there was no dedicated Irish website offering unemployed people the opportunity to promote themselves to nationwide employers free of charge.

Showmycv.ie offers a platform where people who are looking for work can get their CV in front of the right people people at no cost, and a pool of readily available candidates for potential employers. Candidates can log in to the site to update their details at any time, and reply to messages from prospective employers.

"At the end of the day,people out of work need to feel as if there doing something positive in their search for a job, and i felt there was a need for all employers to view all job-seekers CVs for free," commented Niall. "I believe that showmycv.ie can help countless people hit by the recession and make a positive move in getting Ireland back working."

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Finding a job, any job, in today’s employment market is tough. As a job seeker you need to make sure every weapon in your arsenal is honed to deliver the maximum possible value in your job search, and the most crucial weapon at your disposal in your quest for work is undoubtedly your CV.

Your CV is one of the most powerful, personally relevant documents you’ll ever produce. Essentially it should encapsulates who you are, what you’ve done with your life to date, where you’re heading in the future and why a prospective employer would be crazy want to discover more about you. It’s a marketing document designed to sell the best product in the world: you!

Thinking of your CV as a marketing tool can be useful in a variety of ways. Before embarking on any campaign a marketer needs to know what the aim of the campaign is (what they want out of it) and the target market. The better they know that market — its wants, needs and preferences — the better they can tailor their marketing campaign to deliver the result they want. It’s the same thing with your CV — the crucial thing is to know what you want (an invitation to interview), and the more you know about your prospective employer, the easier it will be to tailor your CV to address their specific needs.

So dust off your CV, and look it over with a critical eye — is it really selling the benefits of product you? Put yourself in the shoes of a hiring manager at your ideal employer, look through your CV again… is it hitting the right buttons? Would you choose this CV out of potentially hundreds and invite the candidate for an interview? If not, ask yourself why, pinpoint the problem areas and work on them. It’s worth investing a bit of time and energy into getting your CV right, because it’s a key that can open the door to a new job and, ultimately, a brighter career.

What your CV needs to deliver:

• Focus on benefits: it should highlight what you can bring to an organisation, and back it up with specific examples wherever possible.
• Capture and retain attention: just like any other marketing document, the key to an effective CV is to capture and retain your audience’s attention. Make your CV more than a dry rendition of facts… work to make it engaging. That doesn’t mean waffle on with wordy prose… hiring managers are busy people. Keep it concise and to the point, but make sure it flows seamlessly from beginning to end. Use headings an bullet points effectively to make it easy to pick up compelling points with a quick scan.
• Leave them wanting more: your CV is your first interaction with your prospective employer… ideally the first of many. Yes, it should tell your story quickly, in a compelling and engaging way, but it shouldn’t tell the whole story. A well executed CV should leave the employer wanting to know more about you, and compel them to invite you in for an interview.
• Hint at interview questions you want to answer: while there’s no guarantee your CV will lead to an interview, if it does it’s also likely to be your interviewer’s primary point of reference as prepare to ask you questions. Knowing that gives you an opportunity, before you even walk through the door, to influence the direction your interview is likely to take. Obviously thorough interview preparation is a must, but anything that helps put you in the driving seat is a real boon.

Taking the marketing analogy a bit further, you now have to get your CV out in front of prospective employers. The best marketing material in the world won’t achieve anything unless its seen by the right people. Reaching the right market is fundamental to the success of any marketing campaign, and it’s the same thing with your CV. Luckily, you have more options available today than ever before. As well as applying directly for specific jobs you can also try:

• Direct mail / E-mail: compile a list of employers in the area you’d like to work, then send them your CV and a covering letter introducing yourself and asking about potential opportunities.
• Recruitment Agencies: drop your CV in to local agencies in person if you can, or find out who’s responsible for recruitment in your field and e-mail your CV to them — follow up by telephone for a chat about the services they can offer you.
• Job boards: upload your CV to as many relevant job listing sites as you can. Employers and agencies regularly scan these sites for suitable candidates, and if your skills match, they could contact you!
• Other online tools: the internet has opened up a slew of new ways for job-seekers to get noticed, from profiling your skills and experience on business networking site LinkedIn, to writing your own blog, to using social media sites like Twitter. There are also CV showcase sites like the brand new ShowMyCV.ie, which are all about bringing employers and candidates together.

No matter what industry you’re in, or what level of job your looking for, making your CV work harder for you makes a lot of sense.

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If you’re out of work, your CV is one the most crucial weapons in your job-search arsenal. Along with a well written covering letter, your CV is part of your opening salvo in your campaign to land a job. A truly exceptional CV can open the door to boundless opportunity, helping you to that all important first interview. It’s you’re first opportunity to impress potential employers, an introduction to the best that you can be, and that makes it a very powerful document.

But with that power comes the very real temptation to embellish, elaborate, in some instances, to lie outright on your CV.

Independent research by employee verification experts Callcredit Direct in Britain reveals that more than one in ten 18 – 24 year-olds (12%) admit to lying on their CV to secure a job, and across all adults who admit falsifying their CV a third (33%) say they’ve  fabricated crucial information like academic qualifications.

Some of the key findings include:

• More than one in ten (12%) of UK workers aged 18 – 24 years admit to lying on their CV
• Of all adults who have lied on their CV, one third (33%) of workers say they’ve fabricated GSCE or equivalent qualifications with 7% making up or enhancing degree-level qualifications
• Of the people who admitted to exaggerating academic qualifications, the 25 – 34s and 45 – 54s are the age groups most likely to embellish their GCSEs/ O-levels (38%)
• Of all adults who have been untruthful, the most common lie is making up hobbies and interests (38%), followed closely by embellishing experience (35%)

According to Marcia Roberts of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation some of the most common CV fabrications include things like inflated job titles, increased salaries and benefits, length of service and qualifications.

“You’d be surprised to know how common it is to lie about qualifications and how stupid it is because it’s easy to check,” she warns. “Recruiters should never accept that someone has lost their certificates. You’d be surprised how many claim to have been to foreign universities when they don’t even exist.”

While lying on a CV is a pretty common phenomenon… that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good idea.

“Lying on your CV is a very unwise move. Employers are wise to CV cheats. Even if you get your foot in the door, your job could be at risk at a later date,”advises CV expert Corinne Mills, author of ‘You’re Hired: How to Write a Brilliant CV’. “Most people are honest, but those who bend the truth simply need to get better at showing how their genuine skills and experience are an asset to future employers,” she said.

Corrine’s top-tips for honest CV success are:

• Relevance: Select skills, experience and personal qualities that match what the employer is looking for rather than including everything you’ve ever done.
• Evidence: Provide detailed examples and achievements to prove your abilities rather than just listing your job duties.
• Accuracy: Ensure spelling and grammar is perfect and all factual information correct.
• Presentation: Your CV needs to be clearly laid out and well-presented to create a positive and professional impression.
• Second opinion: It’s hard to be objective about your own CV so ask someone else to check it over for you as they can often see things that you can’t.

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Last week saw the remaining 5 candidates on the BBC‘s popular The Apprentice television show go through a gruelling round of interviews with four of Sir Alan Sugar‘s high-flying business associates.

Watching Apprentice hopefuls being put through the wringer by a cohort of seasoned business leaders certainly makes for entertaining television, but have you considered that it could also help you in your job search? 

While the process on the TV is extreme, and doesn’t mirror your average interview scenario, there are still valuable lessons for real-world job seekers looking to secure employment in one of the most competitive labour markets in decades.

• Be prepared: it’s astonishing on a programme like The Apprentice that some of the candidates don’t do their homework before the show. Knowing as much as you can about the organisation and job you’re applying for before interview helps you stay calm and composed under fire. It also helps you to anticipate awkward questions so you’re not thrown by them.
• Know your application inside out: you should not be surprised or flustered when an interviewer plucks out a fact or statement from your CV or application form. Remember what you said in your application, and be prepared to provide more information on any aspect of it when asked.
• Don’t tell them everything: your application is a sales document that’s selling you. It’s your opportunity to highlight your strengths, play down your weaknesses and to guide the interviewer to specific areas of your career that demonstrate your suitability for the job. Throwing down everything can make your application confusing, introducing irrelevant detail that can prove counter-productive at interview. Tailor your application to suit the specific job.
• Candidates aren’t the only ones doing their homework: while your application can help steer your interviewer’s questions, you need to remember that while you’ve been doing your homework on them, they’ve also been checking up on you. So don’t be shaken if they throw in a questions from left field about an aspect of your career not mentioned in your application.
• Let your personality shine through: while maintaining a calm, composed and unruffled demeanour is a very positive thing to cultivate at interview, you don’t want to come across as an automaton either. You need to establish a rapport, connect with your interviewer on a human level and let your personality come across.
• Stand out for the right reasons: with so many applications landing on employers’ desks at the moment, it’s more important than ever to make yours stand out from the crowd — but you want it to stand out for the right reasons. By all means get as creative and innovative as you like… as long as you stay focussed on the positives. Avoid going for shock-factor: it will almost certainly flag your application for the wastepaper basket.
• Don’t be afraid to admit to your shortcomings: nobody’s perfect — and coming across as "too good to be true" can actually have a negative outcome at interview. Don’t be afraid to put your hands up and admit to mistakes… just make sure you highlight how you learnt from them, and what steps you’ve taken to make sure you never make them again.

Being able to perform well in an interview situation is something that will stand any job seeker in good stead, and the more practice you get, the easier it becomes. If you treat every interview as a learning opportunity, a chance to refine your technique and hone your skills, pretty soon you’ll stop dreading them.

Look at it this way: every interview you do moves you one step closer to securing the job you want.

The purpose of your CV is to convince a prospective employer to invite you for an interview. That’s not as easy as it sounds. The average employer’s is swamped with CVs, and will typically spends less than 30 seconds looking at each one. If it’s going to stay out of the rejection pile your CV has to make an immediate impression.

So how do you go about transforming that list of work experience, academic qualification and extracurricular activities into an attention-grabbing, interview generating tool?

• Put yourself in the employer’s shoes: it is important to remember that you’re not creating a CV for your own benefit or to impress your peers. You’re creating it to convince a prospective employer that you should be on their interview short-list. Before writing your CV put yourself in the employer’s position and consider what you’d be looking for in a candidate. Then make sure you address those requirements in your CV.

• Provide the most important information first: it’s surprisingly easy to bury important deep in the body of your CV. As you assemble the information in each section, prioritise it and list the most significant and relevant information first (remember to do this from the employers perspective).

• Don’t try to cram everything in: your CV needs to be a concise summary of your skills, experience and achievements as they apply to the specific position you’re applying for. Keep your CV short and to the point (ideally no more than 2 A4 pages), while making sure you include all of the necessary information.

• Presentation: your CV is the first glimpse that a prospective employer will get of you. Everything about it should reflect the qualities they are looking for in a candidate. Use high quality white paper, and ensure that your final document is formatted in a way that makes it easy to read. Use no more than two different fonts throughout (one for headings and one for body text).

• Make it scannable: use clear headings and bullet points where relevant to make information more accessible. With only seconds to impress guiding your reader to the most relevant information quickly will pay dividends.

• Be confident and don’t sell yourself short: not many people like singing their own praises, but your CV is no place for modesty. Use positive language to highlight your skills, strengths and accomplishments to maximum effect.

• Tell the truth: while it’s vital to make the most of your achievements on your CV, it’s equally important that you can back up the statements you make. When you get called for interview you’ll be asked to elaborate on the information in your CV – and any falsehoods will come back to haunt you.

Finally, always remember that time spent honing and revising your CV is never time wasted. Think of it as an investment in your future. After all, an effective CV can open the door to a whole new world of opportunity.