How your SEEK Profile could land you a job
Some SEEK profiles leap off the page. They have the secret ingredient that says “hire me”. Your SEEK Profile is an online marketing tool that works 24/7 and encourages opportunity to come to you.
The reason for having an electronic profile is that you never know when the employer of your dreams, or one with a great opportunity that you hadn’t considered will come knocking looking for someone just like you.
The reason for having an electronic profile is that you never know when the employer of your dreams, or one with a great opportunity that you hadn't considered will come knocking looking for someone just like you.
But here’s a tip: there are good profiles and there are knock ‘em dead profiles. If you can write one of the latter, then you’re putting your best self forward to employers.
We asked Hamish Jackson, general manager staffing services for South Australia at Chandler MacLeod for his take on what to put in a killer SEEK Profile. After 16 years in the business of recruiting for a wide range of sectors and seniority levels, Jackson can boil down what stands out to him in a profile in one word: “punchy”.
Whatever you do, says Jackson, leave the fluffy stuff out. He knows you think he wants to hear that you’re: driven, motivated, hard-working, a people person organised, highly entrepreneurial and so on. But that stuff just doesn’t turn Jackson on. “I really don’t go for catch cries.” He wants hard facts.
The really striking candidates whose profiles jump out to an employer or recruiter are those that highlight the really tangible achievements,” says Jackson.
Three such areas, says Jackson, where you can really up the ante on an eye catching SEEK Profile are:
- KPIs, KPIs, KPIs.
Everyone has Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to meet. Whether you’re at the bottom or the top of your organisation, a profile that spells out how you reached your KPIs will leap off the screen for Jackson. From a top level sales or account management candidate a punchy number driven statement such as “I grew the business in South Australia by 328 per cent” will catch his attention. Or: “Increased operational efficiency of the organisation by 125 per cent.” At a different level an office manager can show tangible results such as efficiency drives. “I contributed to increased safety performance in the business by 25 per cent.” If you’re not sure what to include go back to previous performance reviews and think about any tangible results that could be used in your profile.
- Education and upskilling.
Ongoing education and upskilling is something that jumps out at Jackson. An office clerk looking to step up to the next level, for example, who goes back to study or upskill is going to grab the attention of an employer more than one who doesn’t see the need to study. An eye catching line, in this case might be: “Completed an introductory training course in the management system JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Software.” This tells Jackson that this candidate is gaining a wide understanding of the entire operation of the business and is striving to upgrade his or her technical skills and understanding.
- Real life projects.
Are you a journalist, an architect, a marketing person, or other creative? What projects have you completed? Can you include a good punchy sentence outlining your successes and link to that project. “I managed the defining and building of the organisations brand relaunch.” Link through to presentations and other creative material, says Jackson. Be specific about what your role was, not just “I assisted in….”. If your role is in HR, what programmes have you developed and do you have examples you could provide?
The great thing about a SEEK Profile that includes specifics, is that it’s automatically better than 90% of the competition says Jackson.
We realise that not everyone knows how to write. Ask for second opinions from friends, family, teachers, recruiters or anyone who you think can help hone your profile.
For more tips about how to write a stand out SEEK Profile, click here.
