Hays : How to get a job in 2017

What will it take to be the winning candidate and land a top job in 2017? According to recruiting experts Hays, even if you possess exceptional technical skills and qualifications, you need to demonstrate your soft skills to stand out.

The increasing popularity of intrapreneurship within many businesses is raising the importance of soft skills up the list of hiring requirements. Employers believe candidates with strong soft skills are more likely to embrace innovative thinking and the art of intrapreneurship, seeing them explore fresh ideas alongside their day-to-day responsibilities.

Intrapreneurship has gained recent prominence with organisations aiming to improve internal innovation in order to compete with market disruptions and new technology.

As Christine Wright, Managing Director of Hays Asia says, 'Employers are looking for candidates who have strong soft skills and entrepreneurial flair who will put businesses on the front foot in what is set to be a dynamic and challenging business year ahead'.

In addition to highlighting your soft skills to potential new employers, your 2017 job search will also benefit from the following:

1. Highlight your social media savviness:
Consider publishing your CV on professional social media platforms such as LinkedIn or other sites applicable and relevant to the industry you are in. Digital video CVs work well depending on the type of role you apply for. Look to also list your LinkedIn, Twitter and any other relevant social media profiles on your CV. Even if you don't, employers are likely to still search for you on social media as part of their due diligence. A positive social media footprint can also be an endorsement of your soft skills such as communication, creativity and professional conduct.

2. Be patient:
Recruitment processes are taking longer to complete and as a result, candidates should become more patient in awaiting the outcome of their application. We encourage you to follow up with your interviewer post-interview with a courtesy thank-you note. After this point, you should wait until you are contacted before initiating any further conversation to ensure you do not come across as pushy or desperate.

3. Prove your desire to upskill:
In a candidate-short market, employers are facing a difficulty in securing qualified professionals to fill certain niche vacancies. We find that some employers are flexible in their requirements and willing to hire and develop enthusiastic candidates who can upskill themselves and acquire the necessary skills through on-the-job training.

4. Think before you apply:
Do you really believe you can add value to the position you are about to apply for? Have you got the experience, qualifications and motivation to be a success in this role? Don't waste the recruiter's and your time by applying for a role that you are not qualified to do.

5. Don't underestimate contract roles:
Temporary or contract assignments can give your career a boost just when you need it. By undertaking a temporary assignment, you gain experience in new areas, develop new contacts, boost your confidence and increase your earning potential. You work with new groups of people, in new organisational cultures and often in new industries. This will reinvigorate your career and help you determine your next move.

6. Keep up-to-date with regulatory changes in your industry:
Keep informed about any changes or practices which affect the industry you are working or wish to work in as these impact on your new role. Employers will also look favorably on the knowledge and interest you have about that particular industry.

7. Be open to change:
With many organisations realigning their operations to become more digitally focused, employers will be looking to establish whether you have the capabilities to take advantage of new technologies to drive innovation within the organisation.

8. Salary is not everything:
Don't despair if you are offered your dream job and the salary is not to your satisfaction. Employers have become more focused on moderating their fixed salary and payroll expenditure. Depending on the industry you apply for a job in, you may be able to negotiate a slightly more generous bonus package, so if you work well and meet your targets, you will be rewarded appropriately.

9. Broaden your professional network:
Meeting people beyond your current network allows you to build your reputation, generate trust and may well be the key to opening a new door full of opportunities. There is a real skill to face-to-face networking and it's important you choose your targets wisely. Personal communication is still tremendously useful and when actively or passively looking for new opportunities, face-to-face networking could be the key to unlocking your next role in 2017.

10. Know how to navigate data:
Digital disruption has changed the way businesses communicate with their customers. The use of data has allowed businesses to become more targeted and tailored in their communications. Employers are increasingly dependent on candidates in the digital space to possess an analytical mindset so they are able to segment and interpret data to improve the customer experience.

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Hays, the world's leading recruiting experts in qualified, professional and skilled people.

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For further information please contact Genevieve Ho, Marketing Executive - South East Asia at Hays on [e-mail]

About Hays
Hays plc (the 'Group') is a leading global professional recruiting group. The Group is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people worldwide, being the market leader in the UK and Asia Pacific and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe and Latin America. The Group operates across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments. As at 30 June 2016 the Group employed 9,214 staff operating from 252 offices in 33 countries across 20 specialisms. For the year ended 30 June 2016:

- the Group reported net fees of £810.3 million and operating profit (pre-exceptional items) of £181 million;
- the Group placed around 67,000 candidates into permanent jobs and around 220,000 people into temporary assignments;
- 22% of Group net fees were generated in Asia Pacific, 45% in Continental Europe & RoW (CERoW) and 33% in the United Kingdom & Ireland;
- the temporary placement business represented 58% of net fees and the permanent placement business represented 42% of net fees;
- Hays operates in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Chile, China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, the UK and the USA