As an HR Manager and Agency Director with over 30 years of experience in recruitment in insurance, financial services and legal sectors, the industry has seen more developments and advances in the last 5 years more than the previous 10 years – mainly with the development of online recruitment.

As an HR Manager and Agency Director with over 30 years of experience in recruitment in insurance, financial services and legal sectors, the industry has seen more developments and advances in the last 5 years more than the previous 10 years - mainly with the development of online recruitment.

Undoubtedly now the major element of any strategy is online advertising - including using a Company's own website.

It's vital as recruiters we identify the appropriate online advertising sources, appropriate for the role - it's level - and the useage, for high numbers of active viewers/candidates.

Essentially like print advertising in the past, a mix of specialist online sources and more general local ones will be used.

Candidates will often have a preferred job board - but while good local job boards will hold vacancies from many large and small employers - using an online presence which also is more relevant to your specific experience - for example Insurance – will ensure that you view all the relevant opportunities.

However a downside of using either too many sources is that it is easy to apply to too many roles - and then to forget which ones you’ve applied for and where - when the recruiter calls. Often because of the ease of application, essential factors like location, aren’t fully thought through before application.

Also because it is very easy to apply to many roles and to do so quickly, you must ensure that your covering letters apply to the role you’ve applied for. Many times the role titles, for example, are different on the covering email to the role applied for. So when applying for professional roles this creates a poor first impression. Also often your covering letter will explain your reasons for wanting the role. So if it’s not the right role, your reasons won’t match.

Also in both your cv and covering email, think of presentation ie how it will be able to be read by the recruiter.

Probably the most simple but effective factor would be to ensure you have a professional email address to use when applying for a job - ie having your name and not a nick name or strange interest as the address.

As Employment Specialists Ltd recruit for many professional organisations, both local and national ones, the skills the individual has, combined with their experience are vital ingredients to be successful in obtaining a new role.

While online recruitment enables speed and volume to help improve the process and experience, don't forget that the recruiter will still need to speak to you about your experience and requirements. So after responding to adverts ensure you are able to be available to spend the time discussing the roles, your objectives etc with the recruiter.

Employment Specialists Ltd would spend time doing this with candidates to ensure that we understand the candidates experience in detail and importantly their objectives and criteria for seeking alternative employment - in order to fit them to the right role. This enables us to fully understand what is important for you in the next role and not just to consider you only for the role you’ve applied for.

As Industry specialists we're talking to Employers regularly and know what they're looking for in their current roles and often their plans for the future.

However while these discussions are vital you should remember to include all relevant information, especially specific details of responsibilities and achievements, particularly in your most recent and relevant roles - rather than just trying to keep it to 2 pages.

Employment Specialists Ltd find that online recruitment speeds up the information process and enables us to work more effectively to the essential deadlines our clients have, but it still needs to be supported by further discussions.

So you will continue to see more adverts on line, either on job boards or websites likes ours, but for professional roles in the Industries we deal with, the communication we have with you will also be important.

Malcolm Newson MCIPD

Director

Employment Specialists Ltd

www.employmentspecialists.co.uk