A top recruiter has issued a blunt warning to job seekers about the things they do wrong in interviews which stop them from being hired.
Tammie Christofis Ballis, 37, a specialist recruiter and career coach for Realistic Careers, revealed some of the ways job applicants are harming their chances of getting the position they want.
The experienced recruiter said it is even more important that applicants know where they’re going wrong because the job market has become more competitive.
‘When there’s a financial crisis there are recruitment freezes,’ Ms Ballis told Daily Mail Australia.
‘And anyone who leaves, they won’t replace and we are seeing this at the moment.’
Ms Ballis said the cost-of-living crisis has made people look for higher-paid positions and second and third jobs to get by, making the employment market even more cut-throat.
‘The more entry-level the job, the higher the applications,’ she said.
‘We normally see about 100 people wanting a job but now it is up to 500 people.’
The recruitment professional has offered some insightful tips on what not to do if you want to secure that dream job.
Tammie Christofis Ballis (pictured) a specialist recruiter and career coach has noticed some worrying trends she wants job seekers to be aware of
She has revealed how Aussies can get their resumes at the top of the pile as the job market weakens. (Stock image of Aussies at a music festival)
Stop sending fancy resumes
Ms Ballis said job applicants have a tendency to think the ‘fancier’ their resume is, the better it must be.
‘No. You need to have a good Applicant Tracking System resume, which just means it is compatible with systems used in recruiting,’ she said.
‘There’s a big misconception on the internet that people believe AI is scanning and automatically rejecting resumes – but it’s not.’
The career coach said a simple word or PDF document is all that is needed because humans are looking at them – they have to be ‘easy to read’ and ‘simple’.
They should also not contain colours and be plain formatted.
‘Colours can hide the keywords we are searching for (though) f you are applying to creative industries – fine,’ she said.
‘But in every other industry, no-one cares about your graphic skills.
‘Everyone’s got computer skills these days. It’s not the 90s.’
Ms Ballis also said recruiters read top to bottom, so avoid having columns as they make it more difficult to find information and hirers ‘need to see what they are looking for’.
‘People are paying $500-$600 for a resume and just not getting hired,’ she said.
‘Applicants are paying people to do their resumes who are doing it as a side-hustle – they don’t have recruitment or HR experience,’ she said.
The career coach said a simple word or PDF resume is all that is needed because humans are looking at them – they have to be ‘easy to read’ and ‘simple’.
Ms Ballis (pictured) advises job seekers to use the phone rather than send an email follow-up to get on ‘top of the pile’
‘They think the fancier they make it, the more they can charge.’
The recruiter also said these resumes tend be longer and may not mention an applicant’s experience ‘until half way down on page two’.
‘People don’t realise it’s just a piece of paper that is only going to get your foot in the door for an interview – it’s not worth $500.’
How to get your resume ‘on top of the pile’
With the current high-volume of applicants, Ms Ballis said not all resumes can be looked at.
‘Apply straight away. As soon as they find someone, they will take the job down,’ she said.
‘Then, if there was a number on the job ad, call it and make sure they have received your resume.
‘If an applicant has the experience they are looking for, a recruiter will call for a phone interview.
‘That’s how to get on top of the pile. I know it’s old-fashioned compared with emails and technology – but people don’t have time and emails can get lost.
‘A simple call can make all the difference – yet most people are too scared to call or think they shouldn’t.’
The youth unemployment rate in Australia remained at 9.6 per cent in the latest June 2024 figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
How to help your teenager get on the employment ladder
Ms Ballis also warned teenagers – and their parents – that jobs require actual work.
‘Stop treating it like it’s soccer practice, it’s not. It’s a job,’ she said.
The recruiter said if a teen gets a job, they can’t then dictate their hours or days worked.
It is up to them to work around the employer and school – not the other way around.
The 37-year-old has also seen an increase in parents handing in resumes on their child’s behalf, which is a ‘big red flag’ for employers.
‘If parents come into a shop with their teen and the kid’s not talking and the parent hands over the resume – don’t come back in a week later and ask why your child didn’t get an interview,’ she said.
‘The kid’s clearly not interested or ready to work.’
The recruiter also warns never to escort your child to their interview – or be present as it takes place.
The recruiter also warns never to escort your child to their interview, after watching a young Aussie take her parent to a McDonald’s interview
‘I was at a McDonald’s once and there was a nervous kid about 15 and she was being interviewed,’ she said.
‘It only went for a couple of minutes, and then this woman who was sitting nearby asked, “Was that it? Is that all?”.
‘It was the mother and she was completely shocked.’
Ms Ballis said the staff would have known the mother was there and knew the girl wasn’t suitable for the job.
‘The mother had no self-awareness and it was over-bearing helicopter parenting,’ she said.
‘The people who work at Macca’s are hard working and have grit – they’re not looking for kids who need their parents.’
The 37-year-old said teens wanting a job need to do it ‘old school’ and print out their resume and go into the business on their own to introduce themselves.
‘You see it on social media pages all the time “Has anyone got a job for my kid?” (but) they need to find it themselves,’ she said.
Stop complaining on LinkedIn
Ms Ballis said she can’t believe that people go on professional networking site LinkedIn to try and ‘garner sympathy’ by criticising recruiters.
‘There seems to be a shift where people (are) very comfortable about whinging about recruitment staff and hiring managers,’ she said.
‘But we are looking on LinkedIn.
‘They’re trying to boost egos to get validated by randoms. But recruiters will see what you have posted,’ Ms Ballis warned.
Ms Ballis said she can’t believe that people go on professional networking site LinkedIn to try and ‘garner sympathy’ by criticising recruiters (stock image)
‘LinkedIn used to be about sharing job information and advice – now it’s about whinging about everything.
‘There’s no problem-solving – people just want views and click-bait. It’s like social media.
‘It’s so bad, it’s funny.’
She urged jobseekers to remember that when they’re looking for work, a green banner showing ‘open to work’ will appear on LinkedIn profiles which is only visible to potential recruiters.
