This might sound like a bit of a fallacy in these times of austerity but I honestly believe that the recruitment market presents more options than it ever has before.
Admittedly there are fewer opportunities out there than there once was and I am well aware that UK unemployment has passed the 8% mark. What I am talking about here is the process of actually securing an opportunity that exists.
If we look back to the days before the recruitment industry the process of applying for a role was very simple. Typically you would see an advert in a newspaper, and submit your written application. As simple as this process was, it was equally ineffective.
On paper, generally speaking, everybody looks pretty similar. One qualified accountant looks much the same as the other. Applying for a job in this way is a lottery; with your CV in a pile like a raffle ticket in a tombola. The opportunities for your strengths and personality to shine are sadly absent.
The advent of professional recruitment revolutionised this process. The jobs market has become more of a meritocracy, with the cold hard facts of a CV being complemented by detailed analysis from conversations that explore the softer side of your skill set. Both your tangible and less tangible achievements can be communicated effectively to the people that make the decisions, through direct conversations between the recruiter and the line manager. This is a world apart from the days when all that represented you were two sheets of A4 sitting forgotten in a filing cabinet somewhere whilst you cross your fingers hoping that somebody will read them.
Between the skill of a good recruitment consultant and the power of social networking it is now easier than ever to prove that you deserve that dream job, and the candidates that work the hardest towards this end will undoubtedly be the most successful, a market based on individual merit as opposed to pot luck.
If you know that you should get a job then there is nothing to stop you!
Jo Sellick is the Managing Director of Sellick Partnership, a specialist finance and legal recruitment firm operating from 6 offices across the UK. To find out more, please visit www.sellickpartnership.co.uk
