Posted December 4 2018
By hradm
As recruiters, we understand that no one fits a job description perfectly. You might be really proficient at one particular skill listed and have little to no knowledge of another one. You might be just shy of the years’ experience required. Sometimes, it’s perfectly natural to weigh up how much of a job advert you can match to your own CV and decide to take a chance on it anyway.
Many employers are now “recruiting for culture” – meaning they are less concerned about your skills set and more interested in how you will impact on the existing company dynamic. They want to know that you will represent their values and blend in well with your team; the training to do the job can come later.
But there are certain elements of a job description (including the title of the position) that really are non-negotiable for some employers.
This is particularly relevant when we are recruiting for secretaries and legal secretaries – these two roles are definitely not the same thing. Whilst they are both essential to the overall functionality of a firm, they have different workloads, expectations and training requirements. Being qualified as a secretary does not necessarily mean you are able to make the leap to a legal secretary.
If you are attempting to boost your career by moving in to a different role, it might be worthwhile emailing or calling your recruiter. If you have applied for a position where you simply don’t match what is required, it’s important to ensure that your CV doesn’t get lost in the response.
For instance, if the role was for the aforementioned legal secretary position but you have no experience in this sector, you should consider justifying what criteria you
do meet and what makes you a logical choice for the role. You need to think about any transferrable skills that you may have from previous experience that would qualify you to be taken forward to an interview stage.
By applying for every role that comes along, you may actually end up getting more frustrated in the long term if you feel like your job search is going nowhere. If you feel like you are getting little to no response to your applications, you might want to consider why. Perhaps it is time to take a more strategic, measured approach to your job search.
In thoroughly reading a job advert, you can decide whether or not this job is the next logical step in your career – even if it you don’t quite match everything an employer is looking for. For example, you wouldn’t apply to be a receptionist if you hated answering phones and had no interest in customer service. But you could apply to be an office manager if you had similar experience and could demonstrate you were up to the challenge.
This is absolutely not an attempt to discourage our candidates from applying for jobs. We want to provide a high standard of service and pay you the individual attention your career aspirations deserve. We can help you in your job search by advising you on the right role for you, even if it’s a direction you’ve never considered before.
If you are looking for a position within the Office Services sector, I’d love to help you take the next step in your career.
Click here to see my contact details – I can chat with you confidentially and advise you on the range of positions I currently have available.