Wanting to be liked is a basic human trait and conversely, we usually don’t enjoy the experience of rejection. All of us in the People Recruitment Group of companies understand the emotional investment every candidate makes when they decide to apply for a role and how important the job will be to their future. That’s why we spend a lot of our time screening candidates against the job brief before making recommendations to the employer.

When a candidate applies for a job they join a queue of other candidates competing for the same job. While it is somewhat a statement of the obvious it is important to remember the recruitment process is typically designed to arrive at just one appointment for every job advertised. If there are 80 applications for a job and only 1 successful appointment, this means 79 have been unsuccessful.

Here are some quick tips to remember when you are applying for a role:

• Understand and accept that a recruitment process aims to achieve one appointment.
• Not progressing to shortlist or indeed, not being offered the job doesn’t mean you are not a worthy candidate.
• Applying for roles that you really want and roles which you are suitably qualified and experienced will reduce the chances of rejection.
• The more you find out about a job the more likely it is that you’ll make a decision on whether or not you are right for it and it is right for you before you apply.
• Avoid becoming a habitual candidate, applying for roles that are available simply because you can, rather than those that you are best suited.

It is also a reasonable expectation that when you apply for a role you need to know your application has been received and you need to know how you are progressing. Employers or agencies that only advise shortlisted candidate the outcome of their application, in my view at least are nothing short of lazy and unprofessional. At Sportspeople we believe every candidate deserves to be advised, in a timely manner, the outcome of their application.

Share your story. When you apply for a role through us we always invite you to submit a 2 page cover letter outlining your suitability for the role. Sure, your CV is a very important document however it’s often the cover letter that gives us the best sense of your communication skills and your interest in the role. So next time you are applying for a role spend some time preparing a cover letter that allows the employer or recruiter to get to know you and why you are the right choice for the job on offer.

People Recruitment Group