Outside Nairaland, I work in an Agency that recruits for top companies in Nigeria.

When we are not recruting for a particular client, we are training and when we are not doing that, then we are appraising performance or enjoying the time the flexibility of our job offers us.

Today I am going to share few things that will help job seekers land their dream job.

This is from my personal experience and it might not be applicable to other Recruiters.

Let's dive!!!

Use A Professional Email Address

I don't about other Recruiters, but for me, a stupid email address will never earn an invite from me.

What the heck are, Chizzybaby@gmail.com, Zainab4luv@yahoo.com? Seriously, these ain't email anyone seriously looking for job should be associating with.

Personally, I prefer emails with the applicants' full name or first name.

Try as much as possible not to use numbers in your email address, only when necessary.

Something like this is manageable, LekanAzeez86@gmail.com but Lekan86@gmail.com is unacceptable to me.

Officiallekan@gmail.com, IamLekan@gmail.com, LekanOfficial@gmail.com are all acceptable to me.

What about akim.thomas455@gmail.com

Don't Attach Your Cover Letter

Lol.

What I am just trying to say here is that your Cover Letter shouldn't come as a Word Doc attachment. Send it as an email, with the position you are applying as a subject.

Believe me, most Recruiters don't open that attachment. I know many who don't, I myself inclusive.

The first paragraph of your Cover Letter should be able to sell you, but when you attach your cover letter you would lose that opportunity.

Take a look at this paragraph I copied from a recent cover letter:

I am very interested in the Bleep Bleep position you recently advertised. I believe that my strong educational background and extensive experience in Bleep Bleep make me an appropriate candidate for this position.

As you can see in the enclosed Résumé,

Believe me, the guy sold himself at the second paragraph, that I had to rush to his CV. Now I paid detailed attention to every single word on that CV. It was an impressive CV.

I sent him invite and jotted down his name. I can't wait to meet him.

I don't know about other Recruiters, but I place much value on applications that offer me the opportunity to read the Cover Letter without downloading or opening any file.

merit455:
What about akim.thomas455@gmail.com

I don't know about other Recruiters, but it is a no-no for me.

I only forgive numbers if I believe that name had be taken and the number should just be 2 and since you are using dot in your address you don't need numbers again. It makes it cluttered.

Akim.thomas@gmail.com
Akimthomas45@gmail.com

Learn To Acknowledge Invites Properly

Seriously, if I send my invites, I will never ask you to acknowledge them like many Recruiters do. But if I fail to get your invite 24 hours to the date of the interview, you won't be cleared for the interview.

It is something you should do without being asked. Anyway I stopped asking applicants for their acknowledgment when I got 2 silly acknowledgments from 2 unserious dudes.

The first one was:

Ok, I will be there

The second one was:

I won't come because I am living in Abuja.

I didn't clear the first one for the interview and so he didn't see his name on the Clearance List.

The second dude just lost out because we would be recruiting for one company for the same position in Kaduna and that opening comes with an accommodation

I would have him about it if he had acknowledged my invite properly. If he had consented, since I was in possession of his CV already, I would have transferred him automatically to that opening and forward his CV to our Recruiter there.

Imagine, a top Recruiter referring an applicant. You know what that means.

Good CV just became useless because of useless acknowledgement.

Many of you might be wondering what a Clearance List is.

This is a compilation of all the names of the successful Applicants. It shows their name and position applied for. All they need to do is just sign and enter the time.

We noticed that a lot of job seekers are gate crashing out interviews without been invited. So we devised that means to check them.

Let me give you an expo. A lot of companies are not using this Clearance List but rather Attendance List.

So monitor any company you want to work for, on the day of their interview, just dress well, go there and sign in. They will collect your CV at the venue and interview you as well. If you are successful, you would be employed.

But for us, NEVER!!!

Don't Enter The Interview Room First or Last
Don't ever dare this.
... Be Right Back

OfficialAPCNig:
Don't Enter The Interview Room First or Last

Don't ever dare this.

... Be Right Back

patiently waiting

Interesting.

OfficialAPCNig:
Don't Enter The Interview Room First or Last

Don't ever dare this.

... Be Right Back

following

Following

.

Hmm.. I

OfficialAPCNig:
Don't Enter The Interview Room First or Last

Don't ever dare this.

... Be Right Back

WHY?

OfficialAPCNig:
Use A Professional Email Address

I don't about other Recruiters, but for me, a stupid email address will never earn an invite from me.

What the heck are, Chizzybaby@gmail.com, Zainab4luv@yahoo.com? Seriously, these ain't email anyone seriously looking for job should be associating with.

Personally, I prefer emails with the applicants' full name or first name.

Try as much as possible not to use numbers in your email address, only when necessary.

Something like this is manageable, LekanAzeez86@gmail.com but Lekan86@gmail.com is unacceptable to me.

Officiallekan@gmail.com, IamLekan@gmail.com, LekanOfficial@gmail.com are all acceptable to me.

It is recruiters like you that end up overlooking great candidates, because of an e-mail address that they dislike, due to their inner prejudice. What is your business with the person's e-mail address? As for me, as long as it is not '419scammer@gmail.com,' who cares?

What should attract your attention is just the person's CV, or resume. That is what your focus should be on, if you truly want to offer your clients the best services.

I was once contacted by a recruiter on Linkedin. He had gotten my resume from an acquaintance, and wanted to verify some details. I sent him replies using my personal e-mail, and he was surprised at my mail address. I explained to him, that the mailbox had been opened for me, by my first employer, but the firm later migrated to a corporate mail address, and the old personal one, was discarded. I retained mine after leaving the firm, because I just couldn't be bothered to change it.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I got the job but had to decline the offer, because it clashed with my other plans.

U dont judge someone by certain things

OfficialAPCNig:
I don't know about other Recruiters, but it is a no-no for me.

I only forgive numbers if I believe that name had be taken and the number should just be 2 and since you are using dot in your address you don't need numbers again. It makes it cluttered.

Akim.thomas@gmail.com
Akimthomas45@gmail.com

You must be a truly lazy recruiter, because you keep discarding potential candidates based on very flimsy reasons. What specific value, does the e-mail address add to the candidate's credentials, or his/her ability to do the job? You people are very funny ....anyway, today's brand of recruiters have apps to do everything for them these days. I guess those apps have replaced their brains.

LaudableXX:

You must be a truly lazy recruiter, because you keep discarding potential candidates based on very flimsy reasons. What specific value, does the e-mail address add to the candidate's credentials, or his/her ability to do the job? You people are very funny ....anyway, today's brand of recruiters have apps to do everything for them these days. I guess those apps have replaced their brains.

You are rather full of excuses. The Op has offered vital points on why some applicant don't get invitation to job interview, a subjective way of pruning the unending list of applicants to be interviewed but valid to the recruiter. Like it or not.

solelymade:
You are rather full of excuses. The Op has offered vital points on why some applicant don't get invitation to job interview, a subjective way of pruning the unending list of applicants to be interviewed but valid to the recruiter. Like it or not.

No, sir. His points were NOT valid in any way. He simply discarded those e-mail addresses due to his inner prejudice, without giving any concrete reason. Which law says that an applicant's e-mail address must consist only of his name?? In reality, I know people who got high-flying jobs, using e-mail addresses that did not contain their names! I got 3 multinational jobs, using my personal e-mail address which does not even reflect my own name. So what is he saying? He is just trying to sound important. His post is nothing, but a lot of hot air!

I repeat: a recruiter does not have any business with your e-mail address. His business should only be with your CV or resume! End of story.

LaudableXX:

No, sir. His points were NOT valid in any way. He simply discarded those e-mail addresses due to his inner prejudice, without giving any concrete reason. Which law says that an applicant's e-mail address must consist only of his name?? In reality, I know people who got high-flying jobs, using e-mail addresses that did not contain their names! I got 3 multinational jobs, using my personal e-mail address which does not even reflect my own name. So what is he saying? He is just trying to sound important. His post is nothing, but a lot of hot air!

I repeat: a recruiter does not have any business with your e-mail address. His business should only be with your CV or resume! End of story.

I understand you feel it's petty and inner prejudice but it is one means by which recruiter prune applicant list. It is valid to them to employ such means though it lack objectivity.

solelymade:
I understand you feel it's petty and inner prejudice but it is one means by which recruiter prune applicant list. It is valid to them to employ such means though it lack objectivity.

It is a totally wrong means, and that is the point I am trying to make! The only thing that can be used to prune applicants, is the info in their CV and/or cover letter, and nothing else! Only lazy recruiters use e-mail addresses, as a method to disqualify potential candidates. And in the process, they might end up overlooking qualified applicants. This action does the selection process, more harm than good!

LaudableXX:

It is a totally wrong means, and that is the point I am trying to make! The only thing that can be used to prune applicants, is the info in their CV and/or cover letter, and nothing else! Only lazy recruiters use e-mail addresses, as a method to disqualify potential candidates. And in the process, they might end up overlooking qualified applicants. This action does the selection process, more harm than good!

Somehow I share your view and it should be so. But, for these recruiters with a workload the size of Manhattan combining both objective and subjective evaluation skills in recruiting for top organisations it is a means to cut down on invites.

Applicants can tidy up on all loose ends especially on these simple things. There is too much supply of skilled workers in today's market so workers and applicant are put at the mercy of their employer and recruiters.
All is well

solelymade:
Somehow I share your believe and it should be so. But, for this recruiters with a workload the size of Manhattan combining both objective and subjective evaluation skills in recruiting for top organisations it is a means to cut down on invites.

Applicants can tied up on all loose ends especially on this simple things. There is too much supply of skilled workers in today's market so workers and applicant are put at the mercy of their employer and recruiters.
All is well

So because the recruiters are too lazy to do their jobs properly, we should applaud them for using silly illogical means, to deprive potential candidates, of a job?

If the work load is too heavy, then why can't they recruit additional hands or even sub-contract part of the task to other recruiting firms? His pompous attitude and lack of objectivity, is part of what is ruining the chances of many candidates, as it prevents companies from even getting the best fit for the job.

LaudableXX:

So because the recruiters are too lazy to do their jobs properly, we should applaud them for using silly illogical means, to deprive potential candidates, of a job?

If the work load is too heavy, then why can't they recruit additional hands or even sub-contract part of the task to other recruiting firms? His pompous attitude and lack of objectivity, is part of what is ruining the chances of many candidates, as it prevents companies from even getting the best fit for the job.

I'm not applauding anyone rather I'm saying candidates fulfil the requirements either petty or not, logical or not, objective or subjective. Better to be on the safe side.
It won't hurt anyone really

solelymade:
I'm not applauding anyone rather I'm saying candidates fulfil the requirements either petty or not, logical or not, objective or subjective. Better to be on the safe side.
It won't hurt anyone really

It is such thinking that gives recruiters the impetus to continue their illogical actions. In some countries where allegations of bias in the recruiting exercise, can earn a recruiter serious sanctions, such myopic actions could cost him a lot.

LaudableXX:

It is such thinking that gives recruiters the impetus to continue their illogical actions. In some countries where allegations of bias in the recruiting exercise, can earn a recruiter serious sanctions, such myopic actions could cost him a lot.

I'm sure you will agree with me that nowhere in this world will such 'bias' earn anyone at that any sanction(s). It is not a gender, race, sex, religion, colour, age issue.

solelymade:
I'm sure you will agree with me that nowhere in this world will such 'bias' earn anyone at that any sanction(s). It is not a gender, race, sex, religion, colour, age issue.

'Bias' could also be alleged when qualified candidates are dropped, simply because of prejudice on the part of the recruiter. If a candidate gets to know that he was not screened for a position, even though he/she was fully qualified for the role, just because the recruiter didn't like his e-mail address, don't you think the recruiter's actions could be classified as bias?

Don't forget that applicants might know someone within the organisation, who could give them relevant inside info, and the recruiters may be unaware of this fact.

LaudableXX:

'Bias' could also be alleged when qualified candidates are dropped, simply because of prejudice on the part of the recruiter. If a candidate gets to know that he was not screened for a position, even though he/she was fully qualified for the role, just because the recruiter didn't like his e-mail address, don't you think the recruiter's actions could be classified as bias?

Don't forget that applicants might know someone within the organisation, who could give them relevant inside info, and the recruiters may be unaware of this fact.

Okay

I totally get what you’re implying, a lot of applications usually accompany a job vacancy and most recruiters obviously won’t go the through thousands of applications so they’d as much as possible find reasons to eliminate some of them. I totally agree with boycotting unprofessional email addresses but OP is unnecessary too stringent in his rules. As long as the applicant’s first name and last name is on his email address, there shouldn’t be any problem irrespective of the how many numbers the user decides to add. As long as it’s not bigfatbootay@gmail.com or pumpkineater69@yahoo.com, there shouldn’t be any problem

solelymade:


Somehow I share your view and it should be so. But, for these recruiters with a workload the size of Manhattan combining both objective and subjective evaluation skills in recruiting for top organisations it is a means to cut down on invites.

Applicants can tied up on all loose ends especially on these simple things. There is too much supply of skilled workers in today's market so workers and applicant are put at the mercy of their employer and recruiters.
All is well