How to Stand Out When Applying for Roofing Jobs

Robbie Kerr, Director of The Externals Group, shares three simple ways candidates can stand out from the crowd when applying for roofing jobs.

Robbie Kerr, Director at The Externals Group

THE ROOFING industry is busy. The majority of the time people in roofing contractors aren’t focusing on recruitment as a sole part of their job; a lot of the time they are juggling hiring amongst their actual job role.

That being said, companies can very quickly get overwhelmed with the amount of applications that come in. This has a knock-on effect meaning good candidates can slip through the cracks if they don’t stand out as most CVs are going to be skimmed and not read in full. A few seconds is usually enough time to determine if it is going to be looked at further.

Luckily, standing out isn’t too difficult or complicated. I see hundreds, if not thousands of CVs every week, and even just one of the steps shared below can give you an advantage over the masses.

So, here are a few ways you can help yourself stand out from the crowd:

1. A Clean, Simple CV

A clean and simple CV will already put you over 80% of the competition. A lot of CVs we see are full of spelling mistakes, grammar mistakes, scattered information, random capitalisation, no dates or job titles or company names – the list goes on. A simple, clean, and easy to read CV that is spell-checked and grammatically correct will go a long way. Trust me!

You don’t have to keep it to any certain length. I’ve heard some bad advice that says a CV needs to be 1-2 pages – this isn’t true; it can be as long as you like. I would, however, steer away from being too excessive.

2. Calling In

This is a cliché, but it’s a cliché for a reason. If someone receives 50 applications via email and the job board, and one phone call, you can guarantee that they will remember the person who phoned. It’s quick, easy and informative. You can enquire further about the job details and have a genuine conversation on why this could be relevant to you and your background. Have you ever had a great conversation and thought, I wish that was a brochure instead? No, probably not.

You don’t need to tick 100% of the boxes in the requirements, however don’t call about roles that are not relevant to you. If you meet half of the requirements or more, then that’s enough to warrant a follow up call and can often be the difference between getting an interview or not.

You don’t need a script. Just call and say who you are, what role you are applying for and one or two quick points about relevant experience.

An example might be: “Hi, I saw your ad for a Project Manager in Birmingham. I have been involved in roofing management for five years and wanted to ask a couple of questions.” That is enough.

3. Show Signs of Reliability and Consistency

This is advice for during the interview process and is so important. If you can be reached when you say you can, turn up for an interview on time and complete a form or PI when you say you’re going to, this builds trust and gives zero chance for doubt.

There is little worse in the hiring process than seeing a good candidate come through, having a good chat on the phone to arrange an interview that they were buzzing for, setting aside time in your busy day for them to not even bother turning up or telling anyone that they’re not coming. If you can’t make it then that is ok, but phone in with plenty of notice.

The majority of the time, you will be immediately blacklisted with the company and if through a recruiter, blacklisted from their network of companies from something that could be ironed out with a 20 second phone call. Even if you have changed your mind on the opportunity, no one will shout at you, but please, call in!

There Are Other Things You Can Do Too

There are other things you can do that will help you in the process. Speak practically in your interviews and go in depth with your answers, ask questions about the job and the company, do your own research.

Candidates don’t need to be perfect to stand out, just doing the basics will put you ahead of most. The people who do the above are people who I remember for years. Being a roofing recruitment agency, we see everyone, but these are the first people I think of when opportunities come up and the first to get a call. Most importantly, they’re the ones who get jobs.

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