My top 10 easy to follow tips for job seekers

Applying for jobs can be a tricky process with many easily made mistakes ready to trip you up. Here are my top 10 tips which will put you on the right track.

1. Stop applying to job boards! Job boards serve a purpose but they are not a fair process and they often lend themselves to creating a poor experience because electronic applications are so easy to ignore. Pick up the phone before you apply and establish a connection/relationship with the recruiter or hiring manager before you submit your CV.
2. 80% of your CV should be fixed with 20% adapted to meet the requirements of position you are applying for. Applying with the same CV to every job is the equivalent to thinking you can play a round of golf with the same club, it simply won't work.
3. Have a skills matrix on the first page of your CV. Research shows that on average recruiters spend 8 seconds reading over CV's. If you don't provide them with the information they are looking for immediately they aren't going to keep reading.
4. Use the same font throughout your CV. There is some train of thought that you can make your CV stand out by using some 'out there' font that nobody else would dare to use. This is far from the truth. Take it from someone that reads CV's every day - pick a font that is clear and easy to read and stick to making your headings in bold and slightly larger font.
5. Bullet points are your friend. I don't know about you but when I go to read something and it's just dense written text my brain checks out. CV's are no different. Your CV should have nice even spacing with your role description broken down into bite size chunks rather than huge paragraphs that resemble War & Peace.
6. Don't turn up for an interview more than 5 minutes early. Again this is a common misconception. Many people think that if they turn up for an interview 20 minutes early it shows they are eager. In some instances this may be true but more often than not it shows you lack time management and you potentially will annoy the hiring manager who now feels obliged to stop what they are doing and interview you which gets things off on the wrong foot. Nobody is going to think badly of you for turning up on time so play it safe and go for a walk around the block if you are early.
7. Find out the dress code prior to the first interview. You can only make a first impression once. If it's a corporate environment and you turn up in jeans you aren't likely to get the job.
8. Shine those shoes! As I said first impressions count so use every opportunity to show you take pride in the way you present yourself.
9. Set up a personal voice mail message. When you are applying for jobs you are in a competitive situation where you are selling yourself and your skills. A clear and friendly voice message lets people know you have good communication skills and are approachable. Take every opportunity you can to maximise your impact.
10. Never mention money unless they do. If you bring up salary expectations in an interview you are potentially opening up a can of worms. There are so many ways it can be misinterpreted so it's best not to raise it unless they do. If you are working through a recruiter you should have your salary expectations established up front and you should defer any discussion around salary offers to the recruiter as that is best practice.