The last decade has presented massive changes within the job market; from how we search for jobs, to how companies recruit staff.
Looking back to just 2008, LinkedIn was very much still in its infancy, compared to the site we all know today, and Facebook & Twitter were yet to be adopted by the majorities. We’ve built digital networks of contacts that mean we can keep up to date on some of the freshest information in our industries, as well as updates about our clients, making it easier than ever to keep in touch.
The age old job boards, which are often an initial first port of call in the job hunt, have come to face competition from the likes of industry specific job platforms and job search engines such as Indeed and, more recently, Google for Jobs. All of which serve the purpose of connecting you to recruiters and employers. The gap between head-hunters and recruiters has narrowed and the job and skilled-candidate market is finite.
Go back just another couple of decades and job seeking was mainly taking place over the phone, post and by foot. Candidates and clients began adapting to databases, email and the functionality of having a website space for the first time, realising how this could help to achieve recruitment goals.
Candidate and job buoyancy has bobbed back and forth sporadically over the years, with a similar temperament to the English weather! But what has always remained constant is the tribulations with finding a new job, and the time it can often take to find and secure an ideal and worthy career move. Ultimately, the way we search for jobs is ever evolving - it’s easier than ever to apply for a job and it’s yet to change again.
But what can you do to be ahead of the imminent changes?
Without claiming to time travel, here’s what we expect to see more of in the not-so-distant future, and how you can utilise this in your job search by registering with a specialist recruiter, such as Conrad Consulting.
More Exclusive Jobs – Sound exclusivity agreements rely on strong, trusting relationships between Conrad and our clients. They eliminate the concern of competition for recruiters, meaning that you can know more about the role up front.
Knowing that Conrad puts emphasis into securing exclusive jobs shows that we are trusted by employers to represent them. This will save you the time of applying to numerous adverts across the internet for the same opportunity, posted by numerous recruiters, as you know an exclusive opportunity won’t be found elsewhere.
Skill-fit Jobs – Clients tend to have an ongoing need for recruiting staff, plans for growth, and upcoming projects which require resources. That said, recruitment is not always at the forefront of their priority list and, in some cases, the jobs that need filling “right now” don’t get round to being advertised as a vacant position.
When recruitment gets side-lined, workload can often mount on existing staff’s to do list, creating avoidable pressure and tension.
Conrad takes time to learn about our clients and understands where they are limited in terms of recruiting staff – we are aware of potential areas for new team members to keep things running smoothly – we know when a certain skill-set is well suited to our clients and can secure an interview. An employer will know that good candidates are hard to find and you could secure a position prior to the beginning of a new project.
Unadvertised Jobs – Discretion is often a necessity for a project to complete successfully and can make it difficult for employers to recruit directly. In some cases, our clients request that we do not advertise positions on their behalf either. Unable to raise awareness to a wide audience of active job seekers, our tact changes to an outbound approach; meaning we will contact candidates within our database or extended networks. Candidates who have an existing relationship with Conrad may be privy to the inside scoop and gain access to positions not available anywhere else, or to positions they would be unable to come across of their own accord.
Passive Candidacy – In an informational age, the long-held mentality of closely guarding your CV and personal data unless you are actively searching for a job, should be a thing of the past and is very counter-productive to career progression.
Job boards and professional networks are both great ways to be contacted about relevant opportunities when you might not think to dabble in a job search, or have the time.
Conrad Consulting invests in a secure database to hold our candidate’s data. We are compliant with GDPR regulations and are respectful of your contact preferences.
Recruitment is a free, consultative, low-involvement service for candidates, so why not register with a specialist recruiter and let them know exactly the calibre of niche opportunity that will take your fancy. Or alternatively, be visible online!
See: Make yourself available for opportunities and increase your chances of job success.
Who knows, you could one day come out of a meeting fully aware that you have reached a glass ceiling within that firm, and open your inbox to an intriguing new role saving you the onslaught of tedious and time consuming job search.
We are passionate about everything that we do and we want to always match candidates with rewarding career moves.
Conrad Consulting can you help you to position yourself to progress up the career ladder by delving deeper into the job market, rather than just scraping the surface jobs available to everyone – find an exclusive or concealed job that is just for you by registering with us today!
Author: Ian Martin, Regional Director
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