Sending A CV is not enough

In general, sending your CV is an easy job. A lot of people get frustrated if there is no reply from the recruiter. We think that the HR is the champion for any company, but when it comes to Recruitment & Selection, they are just involved in the filtering process and reduce the number of applications. Recruitment is a positive process, wherein a lot of aspirants are attracted to a job. But selection is a negative process because you run the chance of getting eliminated.

I've sent my CV to several job vacancies, but there is no response from any employer. So, please suggest, how could I get the employer’s attention? - Vilasitha, Pune

Though you are a right fit for the job, you may not receive any call due to several reasons. So it is best to check your application status with the employer. Many job aspirants send their CV through email with vague subject lines. “Pl find the attachment”, “Attached is my resume”, “Application for the job posted”,“Resume”, “CV”. Sometimes, fresh applicants do not mention anything in the subject line. Because of this, you fail to attract the concerned recruiter/ HR, and thereby your CV just remains in the inbox.

In an other scenario, few may keep lot of recruiters' email i.d’s in recipient section (To/CC/BCC) as they send the mail as a bulk email. This gives a wrong impression and many a time, it may land in to their SPAM folder.

You can send the same CV to a lot of employers, but you cannot send the same cover letter to all of them. You have to be very specific and clear when you're drafting your cover letter. With the cover letter, you can explain your creative thoughts, capability and a solution to that particular problem. Sometimes, recruiter/employer does not update the status of their vacancies although they recruit many people.

There are frauds or street side institutions that post fake vacancies just to build their database. Don't get shocked if you get an offer letter from them, even though you did not attend any interview. These fraudsters just try to collect money from you as security deposit for the said position; never trust them. Now a days, many recruiters are using social media to make assessments.

To overcome the above challenges and get the employer’s attention, follow these simple steps:

• Read the job specification clearly before you apply for any job.
• Apply only when you are convinced and feel you are right for the job.
• Follow employer guidelines as part of their application procedure. Sometimes they may ask you to fill their own forms of ERP/stand-alone portals.
  
• Do not use your official email for sending CV to another company. IT Administration always keeps a track of your incoming and outgoing mails.
• If you write everything in your CV, then there would be less to demonstrate during personal/face-to-face interview.
• Ensure that your CV does not go beyond two pages, because recruiters prefer crisp CVs.
• Do not forget to incorporate your updated contact details. There are cases where you may lose opportunity just because of silly mistakes in your contact details.
  
• Also mention your convenient time for discussion.
• Write a neat and detailed cover letter so as to impress the recruiter by explaining your abilities, skills and experience.
• In order to share more about yourself with the prospective employer, use Social Media viz. Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube,
• But before you share your social media links, check your profile and other page updates carefully. They may not call you if there's any controversial information on your wall.
• Keep observing the status of the job vacancy and follow up with them accordingly.
• Always remember, every employer looks for a problem solving person.

(You can also gert more helideas on how to get a job .Read ‘Don't Send a CV’ by Jeffrey J.Fox.)

My son is pursuing his SSC in a private school. I find that he is tired and fed up with regular unit tests, quarterly, half yearly & annual examinations. But he enjoys creative work. Please suggest how we can motivate him more. - Rajakeeyavati, Wanaparthy

I appreciate your concern and time for identifying his interests. There are many a genuis, for example, Isaac Newton, who started thinking out of the box from their childhood and discovered something new.

During childhood; anxiety, enthusiasm, creativity will be high. As a parent, identifying and guiding him in the right direction is very important.

There are parents, who haven’t been able to find time and just ignore such things which lead to untoward situation in the future. Forget about the ranks, grades or marks, observe them closely and catch where they are good at and provide required support, then relax and see how they excel.

You need not invest much except providing internet facilities to them. Let them learn on their own. But observe carefully and ensure they do not get addicted to the social media and misuse the internet.

There are so many NGOs and other organisations striving to bring innovation back in children. There are quite a few science fairs and other exhibitions happening just to encourage children to do something new. Take your children to Lamakaan (www.lamakaan.com) and other places whenever you come across relevant events.

Do not restrict them to the class room, within the four walls. Let them think out of the box and explore. Let them learn on their own through several free online training websites like khanacademy.org.

• iUnschool (iunschool.in) started recently to encourage, experiment and explore. Electrical, electronic gadgets and other items are given to children and they are encouraged to experiment and invent .
• Svecha (www.svecha.in) - The Learning Space in association with Cambridge University, they design the course as per the child's interest. No pressure, no stress. Give them full freedom to try whatever they are truly interested in.
• Innovision Foundation - They are conducting a walk called "Walk for Innovation" on August 31st 2014 as a curtain raiser for The Hyderabad Science Festival (December).

Their main intention is to bring Innovation in student community. For more details check: http://www.meetup.com/Hyderabad-Science-Festival/.

The writer is CEO and Founder of Passion4career, an organisation that trains students to make them employable. For queries call: 8099453869 [email protected]