TL;DR The UK job market is getting tighter. If you are looking for a new job, try a new type of AI-powered virtual assistant service called a Jobseeker Support System. A Jobseeker Support System aggregates data from all active job posts and helps you get a new job faster and with less stress, or at least lets you know what is stopping you find one. Jobseekers benefit from structured, speedy and sane job seeking. Try the free trial of GetJobzi.com to see if it works for you.
Job hunting in the UK has become increasingly challenging. With over 100 applicants for many advertised positions within just 24 hours, the competition is fierce. The stark reality is that there are nearly twice as many job seekers as there are vacancies. As vacancies have decreased by 15.1% compared to the same period last year, the job market has become highly competitive. LinkedIn even reported a 24% decline in UK hiring rates from August 2022 to August 2023. If you’ve been struggling to secure a job recently, you’re not alone.
In today’s job market, most hiring managers aim to interview only a select few candidates who have already been screened by HR. Making it onto the initial shortlist significantly improves your chances of getting hired. While being an early applicant doesn’t guarantee a spot on the shortlist, it does offer several advantages that can boost your candidacy.
When you apply early, you’re competing in a smaller applicant pool during the initial stages of the recruitment process. Your CV stands out because there are fewer candidates to compare you to. By submitting your application promptly, you increase your chances of catching the recruiter’s attention.
The initial shortlist often includes candidates with varying backgrounds and experiences. Hiring managers may consider different options, such as individuals with expertise in specific industries, applications, processes, regulations, or languages. Since no candidate is perfect, being selected as the specialist in a particular area (let’s call it “X” or “Y”) is crucial. Early applicants have a greater chance of being positioned as the X or Y candidate, especially when the hiring manager is still exploring options.
By applying early, your application stands a higher chance of being seen before the pile of applications becomes overwhelming. Recruiters often prioritize reviewing the initial batches, which means your submission receives immediate attention. Depending on how the first one or two tranches of applicants fare, further applications may not even be considered.
As someone who has recruited for many roles over the years and has connections in the HR and recruitment space, I can confidently say that sifting through more than a few tens of relevant applicants for a single role is impractical. Even large organizations can struggle with this volume. If you’re the 100th or even the 50th applicant, your application is likely to be overlooked, let alone fairly evaluated. HR teams and People Operations teams are often overworked and under significant pressure to shortlist candidates for interviews. Applying early increases your chances of being considered and shortlisted, at least in the initial round.
Smaller organisations that are recruiting are usually doing so because they need additional staff urgently. In addition, smaller organisations tend to have smaller and less well-resourced HR teams. They simply cannot spend much time and effort recruiting for each role. These two factors mean that early applicants will have a much bigger advantage when applying for jobs in smaller organisations than compared to bigger organisations. Remember, 61% of all jobs are in SMEs, so not getting your application in early is hurting your chances.
What is needed is a service that genuinely works for and on behalf of job seekers. A service is needed that constantly searches for job postings that match your job title, location, and target salary (or higher), and automatically applies for the job for you. Even if you are working as a Barista or other temporary current job, you will receive calls and emails asking for you to attend an interview for a job that is a better fit for you.
The team at GetJobzi.com has developed the UK’s first Jobseeker Support System to make it super simple for British workers to find and automatically apply for jobs as soon as they are posted. You never have to be a late candidate again!
We are a UK-based technology start-up, not a recruitment agency. We aggregate data from all active job posts, identify the best-paid and best-fit jobs and accelerate and up-scale the application process through AI-powered automation. The Jobzi Jobseeker Support System provides jobseekers with a structured process to organise, focus and accelerate job seeking.
If you want to find that perfect job as soon as possible, or just looking for the best roles out there, then you should be using a data-driven (AI-powered) Jobseeker Support System.
A Jobseeker Support System gives you:
Don’t do job search alone, get the support of the UK’s best Jobseeker Support System. Try the AI-powered GetJobzi.com Jobseeker Support System. Any adult in the UK can register for Jobzi by going to https://getjobzi.com/. Just register, specify your job title, location, wage target and upload your CV. Jobzi will do the rest.