DAXTRA Friendly CV's

For those new to recruitment, the above heading may mean nothing.

Basically as recruitment companies become squeezed on their margins, they look for ways to reduce costs. One of the easiest ways to do this is by automatically posting CV's received directly into a database to then be searched with a search tool. One of the most commonly used programs for this is Daxtra.

So, how does the recent explosion in the use of CV Automation software affect the average job hunter, graduate or contractor?

The important thing to remember is that all it is doing is uploading a CV into a database and checking for duplication. So if you have an email address or telephone number that keeps changing, your CV may be held various times by an agency. That means that is not such a big problem as long as the agency is smart enough when it comes to cleaniong up its database, to delete the old CV and not the new. So try to maintain at leaset an email account for your job hunting activities. Ad a very strong recommendation, is do not use a company account. If your email address is john@abc.com, when you leave and a john joins later, and he starts receiving job offers and emails to confirm you salary details, personal details etc, people can get upset.

Another key thing to think of is how the agency is going to look for your CV. There are many tools and applications, but the majority work the same way. They look for keywords and then score them. Scoring can be as simple as the number of times it is mentioned, however some programs are getting quite complex in their search methodology.

So if you are a Project Manager you want to call yourself a project manager in your job description and title. You want to avoid abbreviations such as Proj. Man.  Also if you worked overseas but your CV is in English, use the English equivalent.

There are many job titles that overlap. So if you work in procurement, make sure you also use the word purchasing. Likewise, a designer should mention all the dimensions and tools used. PDMS, CAD, 3D, 2D etc. There is no harm in repeating the tools used in each description. It will get you scored higher and brought to the front of the queue. You and the agency can modify your CV before submittal to pretty it up, but first you have to be noticed and contacted.

Another important aspect is contact. If you have gmail blocked at work, don't leave a gmail account and a home phone number only. After 2 unsuccessful attempts to contact you, you will put to the back of the queue. I know it doesn't relate to the search process directly but goes back to having consistency in your CV details.

So in short, a good practice would be to imagine you are going to use google to find your CV on the internet. Would words would you type in to find it. What are the keywords that describe yourself.

If you can, mention client sites, employers and any associated companies you worked with. Often when looking for a type of engineer, we will look for a person who worked on a project or for a particular client. If I am recruiting for Fluor in Chile, I will search for people who have worked in Bechtel. If your CV states "Major EPC", it wont show up. 

Finally, if you work in an EPC and wont to carry on, mention EPC where you can and visa versa with Owner-Operator. The profiles are completely different and there are many junior consultants who wil not recognize a company name and be able to differentiate. Especially if your past employer was overseas.

A good article to read on the above is:

How To Get Your Resume Past Computer Screening Tactics in the WSJ

Visiting Exhibitions and Conferences to find work as a graduate

A good way to find work as a graduate, is to visit conferences and exhibitions where companies are presenting their goods.

Firstly, the conferences are usually manned by Sales and Marketing staff, not by HR, so you have a new and unique point of contact. Sales people are generally very keen to buy. They see the benefit in everything. It is how they have been trained.

You can ask for referral, get company information, find out about product or service unique selling points.

Also, often the easiest way into a company is through the commercial department. In times of crisis, cost effective, technical, good sales staff is vital. As a first job an engineer can learn a lot working in a commercial environment. Not only about the relevance of engineering in a company but also communication skills. Everyone with a business sells at some point or at some level.

So, what is stopping people from attending? Generally the cost of these events, but there are exhibitions and conferences that are free. Register for them. Get attendance lists. And don't be put off by location, attendants and exhibitors travel the world. You will find an American company exhibiting in China.

Next month, for example, is one of Europe's largest Chemical conferences. Attending will be Chemical Companies, EPC's, Sub Contractors, Staffing Companies, everyone a Chemical engineer would want to work for.

Here is the link if you want to register. http://www.expoquimia.com/en/register

Open it in a new tab or window, because as a favour to my readers, I pass you a link for a free registration code! Get in free, get access to the exhibitors list, names, company profiles. Get market info. Find potential employers.

Good luck and pass this on to anyone you think may find this useful.