“Pick me! Pick me!” - How to get picked for jobs

Did you know the Recruiters at ARU Temps only shortlist 5-10% of all applications? We asked the friendly team all about how they choose people to fill their jobs because we think it’s super helpful for our students to understand the best way to get noticed for work. First off, let’s get to grips with all the weird words they use…

Application - your opportunity to sell yourself to the Recruiter, this usually includes your CV, cover letter and sometimes an online form;

Candidate/s - you, the job seeker;

Eligible - what makes you able to do the Role;

Faculty - the area of the university within which your course sits:

• AHSS – Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
• B&L – Business & Law
• FSE – Faculty of Science & Engineering
• HEMS – Health, Education, Medicine & Social Care

Full time - 37.5hrs across 5 days per week (usually Monday to Friday, although this can vary);

Job Advert - where you’ll find lots of information about the opportunity on offer including hours, rate of pay, location and what the employer wants from successful candidates;

Job Alert - an email we send to Candidates to make them aware of the jobs we’re trying to fill;

Part time - 20hrs or less per week across any days or evenings;

Registration - the ARU Temps online form with various personal and professional information we need to know so you can work with us;

Registration Complete - means you have filled in our online form including all important information AND verified your Right to Work in the UK - this involves coming to see us in the office with your UK passport or Share Code.

Recruiter/s - ARU Temps staff that email Job Alerts. Recruiters liaise with employers to get you into jobs. They are also a great source of information about employability;

Right to Work Check - a legal requirement of the UK government to ensure all our Candidates are allowed to be placed into Roles. If you’re a UK passport holder then your passport is the easiest way to prove this. If you’re not a UK passport holder we’ll need you to get a Share Code from the UK government site. The check must be conducted in person;

Role - the job otherwise known as work opportunity, vacancy, position, internship, placement or assignment;

Shortlist - the candidate/s the Recruiter has chosen to send to the client for review;

Now we’re clear on all the jargon, get your self-reflection goggles on and ask yourself some questions about the last job applications you made to ARU Temps…

1. Have you completed your registration with ARU Temps?

This is one of the first things our Recruiters check before shortlisting for roles. We often need to fill positions very quickly so we don’t always have time to complete Right to Work checks at this stage, therefore we choose candidates who are already Registration Complete.

2. Are the important parts of your ARU Temps online record filled in?

We search for students to fill our roles by faculty, course title, year of study etc. Make sure you include all this information so we have the best chance of finding you for relevant roles. For example, many of our Student Ambassador vacancies are faculty or course specific.

3. Have you read the advert or job alert fully?

PLEASE read our job adverts very carefully so you don’t waste your time applying for something you aren’t eligible for. All the information you should need is in the advert, if there’s something you’re unsure of then please get in touch with us to ask, we’re happy to help.

4. Are you eligible for the role?

As mentioned above, check all aspects of the role so you are sure you can do it if successful. For example:

• Can you commit to the hours and length of assignment? If you’re studying a full-time course, you can’t apply for full time work (unless out of term time). This is the same if you have an hours restricted visa (usually limited to 20 hours per week).
• Can you get to the work location and is it worth the cost of travel? Please remember that not all roles can be worked remotely.
• Are you on the right course? Many of our roles are course specific e.g. Student Ambassador - read the advert carefully and make sure you are applying to the right position.

5. Do you have the skills, qualifications and/or experience for the role?

The job advert will detail all the things we’re looking for in a successful candidate. Use it as a list to check them all off before you apply. It’s incredibly useful to tell us all the relevant skills etc. that you have – you can do this in the ‘Additional notes to support your application’ section when applying online. Your skills and experience can be drawn from all areas of your life including professional, educational and personal. Try to use real life examples of when you’ve demonstrated key competencies.

6. Is your CV up to scratch?

Use the CV Checker tool to give your CV a score of how good it is. Try your best to get to 100%. If you need more help with your CV, contact your Employability & Careers Advisor for support.

7. Have you worked for ARU Temps before?

Some of our roles are with external employers meaning the people we place are directly representing ARU. For this reason, we are most likely to pick candidates for these roles who have worked for ARU Temps before. We recommend getting your first ARU Temps experience in an internal role such as Student Ambassador, Catering or Admin . Make a good impression in these first placements and the Recruiter will remember you when you apply again. Be sure to add ARU Temps and all your previous work experience to your CV!

8. Are the ARU Temps Recruiters really, really busy?

The answer is always YES! We carefully prioritise our jobs based on when they are needed. This means we might not yet be working on something that you’re keen to get an answer on. Please bear with us. Because we’re so busy, we won’t always tell you if or why your application has been unsuccessful. For feedback and to get an update on your applications, come see us in the office, drop us an email or give us a call – you’ll find out what’s going on AND you will be at the forefront of our minds when we shortlist.

Useful links:

Get a Share Code to prove your right to work in the UK

CV Checker

Employability Team

Laura Kendrick , ARU Temps