When it comes to finding your next career move the most important rule to keep in mind is the 60 second rule!

60 Seconds, that is how much time you have to make a first impression!

Whether you are:

• Sending a cover letter / email
• Calling a recruiter or employer to follow up on an advert
• Attending an interview

It is this first 60 seconds that will be the crucial difference in being successful or not, this is the time it takes for someone to make their mind up and make an initial assessment about you. (Often subconsciously but nevertheless a fact!)

Is this fair?

Probably not but think about it, we do it all the time, it is said that in the UK the average homebuyer spends longer deciding what suit to buy than on a house! We get gut feelings, make immediate decisions, and often find those first impressions were right (or at least we perceive them to be right as we’ve already made the decision!)

Once it is accepted that the first 60 seconds are crucial it is possible to give yourself a real competitive advantage.

We covered the 3 Key aspects of the interview process Preparation, Presentation and Performance in detail.

These points are equally as relevant when making initial contacts with both recruiters and direct employers.

Tailor a cover letter for each application you send. A recruiter will receive hundreds (and often more) CV’s every week. This is your opportunity to stand out. Use the chance to highlight relevant experience and how this relates to the job. It can be easier to do this as part of a cover letter than CV as there isn’t the restriction of chronological order of jobs or job titles!

It is important to follow up on an application, but be relevant, concise and engaging. Rather that call with the opening line “I just wanted to call to see if you received my CV” or “Is the job still available” why not have a few sentences about how your experience relates directly to that required in the advert. (Similar to what you would say in the cover letter)

Once you have engaged the recruiter and shown that you have the skills for the job it isn’t difficult to work out what the first couple of questions are going to be, have the answers ready. Think about what you are going to say in advance and practice. It’s not easy to ad lib when the pressure is on!

The principal here is to make the relevant information easily available to the recruiter or employer in a straightforward and engaging way.

Some readers will think this is simplistic! It is, and on purpose! The fact is the vast majority do not make the extra effort, if you do it will give you a real advantage.

Written by Richard Morgan, Remit Resources – The IT Recruiters.

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