- Do you want to keep up with the recent trends in British recruitment?
- Use our 10 recommended tools to improve your job application and prepare for the UK job interview.
The recruitment industry has been rapidly changing in recent years. Nowadays, more and more companies rely heavily on technical solutions for sourcing and selecting candidates. Almost all British companies use a combination of human and artificial intelligence for talent acquisition.
Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is one of the most popular technologies used by employers for posting jobs and screening candidates. For instance, nearly 40% of employers use Applicant Screening Software that pre-screens and/or pre-selects job applicants based on the data that they provided. Due to high volumes of applications, HR managers at big companies can't spend their time manually reviewing each resume.
Therefore, please remember that when you apply for jobs online, your job application isn't typically going directly to a recruiter or hiring manager. The most likely scenario is that your CV will have to pass the ATS test first. Around 75% of resumes are automatically rejected at this stage. It doesn't sound good, does it?
ATS is only one among the many technologies used by British employers. So, if companies rely on technical solutions, are there any good tools that can be used in the jobseekers favour?
Fortunately, there are many useful websites that offer all kinds of professional help for people who are actively looking and applying for jobs in the UK.
To help you navigate through these resources, we have selected the 10 best tools to improve your job application and get you closer to receiving a job offer.
We used the following criteria to select these websites:
- User-friendly interface
- Simple tools
- Free software or free trial included
We hope you enjoy our selection!
Create a great CV
The following tools will help you improve the look and content of your CV.
VisualCV
This software allows you to upload your existing CV instead of manually cutting and pasting text into the system. It automatically parses and organises your data. So, you can have a neatly arranged and easy to read CV ready in under 5 minutes. Just choose a template and the layout that you like.
VisualCV also explains how to write a CV for job applications in the UK.
A free account allows you to select one of the 3 templates, and create and download 1 resume. Additional services cost $18 a month.
Resume.com
This website is the best for building a professional-looking CV for free. They also have a large selection of CV samples and templates for most popular industries and roles. So, if you are confused about the layout and content of your resume, try searching for some inspiration on resume.com
cvmaker
This British website focuses on helping people land jobs in the biggest UK companies.
They offer two types of services: you can choose to build your CV from scratch using their software or pay for the professional resume review.
Their CV writing service starts from £99.
Jobscan
As we mentioned above, most British employers use software to select the best candidates.
Jobscan allows you to upload your CV and LinkedIn account and check it against the ATS software. All you need to do is to upload the job description and your resume.
Their algorithm will calculate your match rate based on your skills, education, job title and other factors. After the scan, they will provide you with tailored ATS-specific recommendations on how to improve your application.
One-month subscription to most of Jobscan services is free.
Make your cover letter stand out
Learn how to write and proofread your cover letter with the help of technology.
Zety
Zety will teach you how to write a great cover letter that will impress your recruitter. They have an easy to use cover letter generator that will use your data and preferences to create an amazing cover letter.
Their premium plan costs $17.99 a month and features 18 CV templates, a cover letter builder, and online resume hosting.
Grammarly
When it comes to writing cover letters, you must make sure that there are no typos or grammar errors. That's why it is worth using technology to proofread your document.
Grammarly is a digital writing assistance tool based on artificial intelligence and natural language processing. It's the best software on the market for helping you improve your writing, especially if you are not a native English-speaker.
You can use Grammarly for editing your cover letter, CV, emails and other types of text. Most of the functions are available for free but you might want to invest money into the premium subscription to access all of their services.
Prepare for job assessment and interview
If your job application goes well, you will proceed to the next selection stage. Usually, you will have to take some sort of aptitude test to demonstrate your abilities or you might be invited straight to the interview.
Preparing for both of these steps is the key to landing a job in Britain.
This website offers a wide selection of all kinds of aptitude tests, such as tests for critical thinking, numerical reasoning, situational judgement and others.
In addition, you can practice recording video interviews.
Practice Aptitude Tests
Apart from regular aptitude tests, this website offers you tests used by leading employers, such as Santander, Dyson, UBS and others.
Since some big companies have their own tests, it might be a great idea to familiarise yourself with their format.
Assessment-Training.com
This website has over 250 tests in 20 categories. So, whichever kind of assessment you are preparing for, you can practice it here. Most of these tests are available for free.
My interview practice
You can polish your video interview skills on this website. It offers an interview simulator where you can set your custom parameters, such as interview length time, experience level and others. Choose from over 120 different job positions for the most realistic interview experience.
The pricing starts at $25 a month.