Looking for the “Perfect” Candidate

Reaching the First Interview Stage

2020-2021 was a period of drastic changes in the job search and recruitment process. Whether it was for our candidates, our customers or ourselves, expectations and requirements have evolved along with the extraordinary changes this situation has brought on. Whether it was considerations on work-life balance, the labour supply and demand or the search for qualified candidates, everyone had to face these new challenges.

At Global Partner Solutions, our role in the recruitment department was not only to adapt ourselves to these changes, but to integrate them into our “new normal” in a constantly moving and expanding world: the aerospace industry. We have the unique opportunity to be in a position where we can identify the needs of our clients and compare them with those of our candidates, enabling us to find the candidate whose needs fit the most with the needs of our clients.

We provide a bridge between both entities, and we are proud of it. Today, we would like to share our experience and put in context what we seek when we go through applicant databases. We hope this article will ultimately give our current and future job seekers guidance and give them an edge in their job search, whether with us (ideally) or elsewhere.

First Contact with Candidates

It is not when we call you the first time. We always start by looking at your CV. And yes, whatever the job site preference may be, your profile is considered as seriously as your formal CV, regardless if you have applied for a job or not, and whether or not we have attempted to contact you directly.

Your Profile

Let’s consider your LinkedIn profile. It allows us to determine at a glance whether you have a connection with the job we are seeking to fill: Have you worked in this industry? How many years of experience do you have in this field? Are there any subtleties in this position that we can also see in your profile, and which no other candidate has? What care did you put in developing your profile?

I agree, our first contact is rather brief, but it gives us a quick overview of your profile. This “first impression” makes a difference. At a glance, we can see who is closest to fulfilling the needs of our customer. We pay close attention to the care candidates put in developing their profile, and we appreciate the effort as much as you might expect, perhaps even more!

Here Are Some Tips to Ensure Your Profile Stands Out

• Be sure to only include your work experience in connection with the job you are looking for today.
• Everything is about details! Please provide as much detail as possible. Whether it is a brief description of the positions you have held, your career summary, the skills you have acquired throughout your career, your education, the languages you speak and/or write or recommendations you have received from your former colleagues. As a future employee/contractor, your career and personal path will give us information on who you are and what you have accomplished.
• Describe the type of job you are seeking, as it allows us to see what position you are applying for. Do you want a full-time position? Employment on a contract basis? Are you willing to travel back and forth? Are you willing to be relocated? Do you prefer working remotely? Are you open to discussing a new job position?

Take the time to ensure that your online profile matches who you are in the job market. We want to offer you opportunities that are entirely right for you or that are fully aligned with your work experience. The connection between your work experience and the position in question may not be all that obvious to an outsider. If such is the case, please send us a message explaining why you wish to apply and why you know you are the right candidate for this position. You may be right! After all, recruiters are not perfect, and they appreciate the fact that they were wrong when it helps them discover a talented person.

Your Curriculum Vitae

If we ask you for a copy of your CV, congratulations! You have successfully passed step one! Your CV is a detailed version of your profile, not only for us, but for our customer as well.

Like your profile, your CV should reflect your work experience that is relevant to the job you are applying for today, giving you the opportunity to develop in more detail the link between them. This will provide us, as well as our customers, the opportunity to know your skills in greater detail. So please, do not hesitate to provide your CV! It reflects who you are before you get the chance to present yourself during a personal interview. This is what we want to see:

• Your achievements (e.g., process improvements, transformation of your company’s policies, personal success and success achieved within your team).
• Your certifications, diplomas (when necessary), and acquired skills.
• Your contact information (email, phone number(s), place of residence [or full address if desired]).
• A paragraph summarizing your career, while giving the reasons for applying to this position.

Your work experience is valuable: it defines one’s life course, and that is why it is so valuable to us. Your work experience must be presented honestly and clearly, with all the nuances and subtleties found in your career, and which cannot be found in other applications. Your work experience serves to highlight your career path and should be presented in two to three pages. Write your CV with care.

This concludes the first part of this article. If we have asked a copy of your résumé, it is because we intend to proceed to the pre-interview stage. This topic will be discussed in Part 2 of this article. We sincerely hope this article has been useful to you, and we are convinced that it has raised a few more questions.