Job Hunters turn to tech tricks to optimise job hunt

TheLadders.co.uk finds that Britainís high earners are turning to web tricks to ensure that their CV is top of the pile

- 76% have updated CV in last three months
- 32% still unhappy with CV
- 58% using web tactics to boost job chances

As the UK faces unprecedented levels of redundancies, it seems that employees from the Board Room to the post room are updating their CVs, focusing on tools and tricks more recognizable on the web than in the job market.

According to a poll of 300 senior job seekers by TheLadders.co.uk (www.theladders.co.uk), 76% of Britainís high earners have updated their CV in the last three months with 58% of them focusing on incorporating ìkeywordsî to make their CV stand out online. According to the study, this was more important to job seekers than work experience (50%), skills (47%), education (9%) or order (28%).

Keywords, which are more commonly used by web developers to enable search engines like Google to find websites, are now being adopted by many professionals who want their skills and experience to stand-out to recruiters.

ìItís because many recruiters are snowed under with CVs and are using keyword scanning software as the first line of candidate screening,î says Derek Pilcher, Managing Director of TheLadders.co.uk. ìSenior professionals have realised that in order to stand out from the crowd, they have to think digital and strategically place keywords and tags into their CV that best describe their suitability for the job.î

Despite attempts to update their CVs, 32% of professionals are still unhappy with their CVs whilst 64% are prepared to invest in professional CV writing services to help them secure job interviews.

TheLadders.co.uk team of CV writers has developed these tips to help job hunters optimise their CV for web savvy recruiters:

1. Crack the Code of the Job Posting - The job posting is a window into the algorithm recruiters are using to screen candidates. In most cases, the same recruiter who wrote the job posting also selected the keywords for the scanning software. Look closely at the buzz words used in the posting and job description and make sure those words are used in your CV.

2. Get Your Keywords in Early - After your CV has been scanned for keywords by the scanning software, it then must get past the visual inspection of the recruiter. The recruiter is only going to spend a few seconds matching up keywords in your CV to those in the job posting. So, make sure you build a section at the top, right before Experience called Areas of Expertise or Core Competencies. This is where you will include keywords to support your candidacy for the position.

3. Place Keywords in Order of Priority - Keywords should be listed in order of priority based on the position you are pursuing. For example, if you are pursuing a position in project management, list terms like lifecycle project management and team leadership before a less important term like training.

4. Specialise - Keywords should be limited and they should be edited for each specific position to which you are applying. It is important that the keywords reflect both your strengths and the needs of the employer. Going overboard by listing too many keywords gives the impression that you do not specialise in one area and that your job search is not focused enough.

Remember that no matter how much experience you have; no matter how perfect youíd be for a job, your CV needs to get past the HR team before the final decision maker will even see it, says Pilcher. That means your strengths must literally leap off the page.