Recruitment tips for design professionals(6 min read)

Pick your recruiter

Don’t be afraid to ask the recruiter about his track record with client he is discussing with you. If the recruiter is working closely with the client he should be able to answer detailed questions on the client and how their recruitment process works. This could be on things such as how many stages of interviews usually happen, with whom and in what timeframe. The recruiter will also have a good understanding on what the client looks for outside just the scope of the CV which in turn gives you the best chance of being positioned in the right way with that client.

Don’t apply twice

So a individual applies to a client multiple times.  Usually it’s for one of two reasons, either a) they forgot they applied or b) They didn’t hear back so thought they would try again.

When a recruiter presents your CV and you are already being represented to that client it makes you look like you are unaware of who you are applying to, makes the recruiter look like he hasn’t done his job properly and confuses the client.

My suggestion here is once you agree to have you CV put forward, ask the recruiter to send you an email with his and the clients details. I would also keep your own tracker on who you have applied to, and when. If you haven’t heard anything back don’t be scared to follow up with your recruiter.

If you have applied to the client before but you feel it was some time ago, make the recruiter aware of this and he can check with the client if they are aware of your profile before just resubmitting you. Overall this is a much more professional approach.

Be easy to find – give as much information as possible

When a recruiter is given an assignment the first thing we do is come up with a strategy on how to find this individual.

Is it for a certain project? What other similar projects have been completed recently? What people specialize in these types of projects? What companies specialize in these types of projects? Who do we have in mind currently? Where can we find these types of candidates online?

If we have no one in mind we need to perform a search. If you’re CV, or Linkedin page isn’t updated with details like where you have worked, or doesn’t state what project names you have worked on, what project types & values of these projects how easy do you think are you to find?

If you have worked on a mega project or been an owner’s representative for example make it clear!

Keep the CV easy to read

The CV itself should be short, clear and concise. I would really recommend keeping the CV to around 2 -3 pages max.  If you have additional information you want to share then you can send it alongside the CV such a cover letter and a project list / case study

Have supporting documents available

Have you worked for a tier one company? Have you done a breath taking design that’s won awards or Competitions? Have you arrived on a nightmare project and turned it round?

Any references, articles, client testimonials, competition wins or such forth submit with your CV.

So many candidates don’t get the chance to go to interview as they have been positioned in the wrong way or haven’t clearly demonstrated what they can do.  Sell yourself!

Maximize your portfolio

I am going to explain from a recruiter perspective what we would consider a good portfolio.

Many people tailor their CV to the role but not many people tailor their portfolio. If the role is working on a mixed use project for example, ensure that the main focus is around projects in this area.

When you have images of your work make sure there is information on what firm you were working with at the time, and what your role on the project was. With numerous people on a project you need to give as much information on your role as possible.

If you have been working with concepts then show the thought process, show the early sketches and how the idea has developed – it might be early stage work for you but clients love it.

If you have been working on site, make sure you have some pictures as the construction progressed.

Always try and be conscious of file size, the smaller you can get it without losing quality the better. I would recommend keeping portfolios under 8 megabytes and ideally around the 5 megabytes mark.

Pick the right job title

If you apply directly for a role the first port of call is going to be an internal HR team. As in any profession the skill level here can be dramatically different. Some companies have great in house teams who understand the roles and responsibilities you have performed, others literally sit and keyword match your CV to a JD.

I have had candidates rejected by internal teams as the candidate hasn’t been a resident architect when he has spent the past 3 years on site in a senior architect role performing exactly the same duties required for this position.  Different firms have different terms, and different countries have preference to these terms.

Understand the role and requirements of what you are applying for and if you have performed the role and if the client is using a slightly different job title it makes sense to amend this on your CV.

 If you are using a good recruiter they will ensure there is no misunderstanding by the internal team

Don’t be out of work over a few thousand Dirham’s

Recently times have been tough. Not just for the design professionals but also for the design firms themselves.

Budgets have been cut, more high-quality design professionals are fighting for less roles and in turn the market rate has dropped.

Too often than not a candidate will get hung up on an offer as it is a few thousand Dirham’s less than his previous contract from  2 -3 years ago. Times have changed. Some of these candidates end up in a job search for 6 – 12 months with no income at all. Don’t be the person saying I wish I had taken that offer!

Start planning ahead of time

Recruitment processes are often slow and frustrating.  Usually the larger the firm the slower the recruitment process will be.

This is why you should always leave yourself plenty of time to asses opportunities. If your contract is coming up for renewal and it’s looking like it may not be renewed, don’t wait for that to happen before putting the feelers out to the market and seeing what opportunities are available. It is better to have an offer where you have a start date in two or three months than be frantically looking for things at the last minute.