​As lockdown eases and companies continue to try to adapt to the sudden affects of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is an unfortunate inevitability that jobs are lost and unemployment rates increase. At the same time, those businesses that are still trading may have smaller recruitment budgets and so, more candidates are applying for fewer jobs. Fortunately, there are many businesses within the FMCG industry who are seeing an increase in sales and growth as consumer needs shift and they are looking for key talent to help with demand.

At Alexander Steele, we are passionate about not just offering our candidates the opportunity to apply for a vacancy but finding them the right role that lends itself to their expertise and ambitions. We like to get to know you and one of the discussions we have most is what information is most likely to get a CV or application noticed and how to make it stand out from others. If you are putting together an application or updating your CV, take a look at our tips below for what information to include and why it works!

1. What do you offer?

The first thing to remember when you are putting together a job application is that effectively, this application is you trying to sell your services. Think about why this company will benefit from hiring you specifically. What are your proven achievements and successes? Have you a clear example of the money you made for a previous employer? How did you save money? What processes that you applied improved efficiency?

2. Do you have a network?

Throughout your career, you have likely created connections in your industry that are beneficial to your new employer. If you have worked with businesses in the past that you know a potential employer would be interested in trading with, mention this in your CV. If you already have relationships with key industry players, employers will be able to instantly recognise an area that you could add value.

3. Use examples

Instead of listing only your duties and responsibilities in a role, be sure to add how you took this responsibility and made it a success. Clear examples including facts and figures, for example, ‘Increased sales by 10%’ or ‘Saved £20,000 by implementing …’ will stand out on a page when employers are skimming through multiple CVs.

4. Actively increase your presence on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a fantastic professional tool. Not only do companies and recruiters use this to advertise and source candidates for live vacancies, but potential employers will also utilise LinkedIn to find out more information about you. Make sure that your profile is complete and up to date and be sure to interact with your connections. Showing a keen interest in your industry will get your name out to the right people and show a willingness beyond the 9-5.

5. Talk to our consultants

At Alexander Steele, our consultants are in constant contact with hiring managers in businesses across the sector. This enables us a great deal of knowledge and understanding as to what the market is looking for and the areas employers are looking for improvement in. The relationships we have built with these businesses allows us to offer you some of the best new opportunities within the industry and our knowledge and understanding puts us in the position to connect you with the right people whether they are actively hiring or not.

We understand that many people within our industry, whether in employment or not, are facing unforseen challenges. We will be updating our jobs page regularly and will continue to source fantastic opportunities for our candidates. If you don't see what you are looking for, please get in touch and we will do all that we can to match you with your ideal role.

​