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Best Recruiters’ Cleared Job Seeker Tips

At each of our Job Fairs, all cleared job seekers have the opportunity to vote via their event survey for the recruiters that provide them with the best recruiting experience. The top three companies receiving the most votes from job seekers are designated Best Recruiters.

We launched the Best Recruiter program in 2008 and it’s been a popular fixture at all our Cleared Job Fairs and Cyber Job Fairs ever since. The recruiters who are voted Best Recruiters go above and beyond to make sure that the job seekers that they interact with have a great experience. These are recruiters who love their jobs and who want to make a difference by connecting job seekers with great opportunities.

We recently asked some of our seasoned Best Recruiters for quick tips for job seekers.

Make your social media profiles crisp, easy to read, and free of typos or grammatical mistakes. Take the time to read your profile. Often reading it out loud helps uncover mistakes or statements that don’t make sense.

Keep your job board profile and resume up-to-date. It’s discouraging when we find a great candidate but we can’t see what they have done in the last 6-8-10 months. Current and up-to-date information helps the recruiter make more informed choices.

Be sure that your resume and profile on ClearedJobs.Net include the relevant keywords for your profession. Recruiters search job boards with keywords so if you don’t have the relevant keywords you will not be found. Research relevant jobs in your profession to be sure you’re using the right keywords.

Proofread your resume. A typo, incorrect term or other error really makes a recruiter think differently about a job seeker. Especially if they say that they are detail oriented!

There are many job seekers who are very technical, but not all recruiters have technical backgrounds. It’s helpful to make your technical resume understandable to non-technical readers as well.

Speak to your accomplishments and the results delivered rather than reiterating the job description of your previous jobs on your resume. That shows the kind of impact you can have to a prospective employer.

Target your resume so it’s relevant to the positions you apply for and be sure you’re using the correct terminology. For example, if you are applying for a cybersecurity position modify SIGINT to cybersecurity operations.

It’s important to convey not what your job was either on your resume or when interviewing, but the challenges you overcame and the kind of results you can deliver – accomplishments not responsibilities. This goes beyond the standard phrase “Results driven” by showing what results you have actually driven.

If you’re transitioning military include when you are available to start a new position on your resume.

It’s simple but many job seekers don’t do it — put your phone number, email and security clearance at the top of the first page of your resume. And keep your email address professional.

How Does a Job Seeker Impress a Recruiter

When we asked our Best Recruiters how job seekers could impress them we can boil all their answers down to one word…preparation. The process is faster, smoother and yes even simpler, for candidates who are prepared.

“Do your homework and be prepared for an interview. This isn’t hard, but many of the candidates I’m recruiting are not prepared. When I was looking for a job I took my homework seriously – targeted my resume, prepared for the interview, etc. I expect my candidates to do the same. I am disappointed 75% of the time. So when someone comes in squared away with a solid answer for ‘Tell me about yourself?’ and ‘What will you bring me?’ it really stands out.”

“One potential candidate brought a thin, professional-looking notebook with her and showed it to recruiters. Inside it had laminated certificates, letters of commendation and reference, and illustrations of many of her accolades – including non-job-related social accomplishments and involvements. It was fresh, different and left a BIG impression. We were not able to hire her, but we have stayed in regular contact since meeting (over a year ago) and I am constantly looking for something right for her – either with my company or another.”

“I am always pleased when a candidate is prepared. There is no worse experience for a Recruiter than calling a candidate who applied for a position, and the candidate doesn’t know what your company does and who hasn’t done any preparation.”

“Candidates who can talk about their accomplishments with very specific examples of the impact, and then talk about what you would have done differently knowing what you know today. That shows preparation and reflection on how you could improve.”

Think about the last job you applied for. Did you put all the preparation into the process that you should have? Will you prepare differently the next time?