As a contractor you need to consider the market and culture when successfully applying for a new contract assignment. As the world around you is constantly changing and rates may fluctuate aggressively, some elements in the pursuit of work remains the same. Therefore it makes sense to take a closer look to what you can influence to stay ahead of your competition. Over the past decade I discovered that "you need C.A.S.H. to earn cash".
CASH is a reference to the various steps in the recruitment process that a contractor needs to prepare for. CASH represents the filtering process that both customers and recruitment agencies are using to find the best candidate for a contract opportunity. It depends on the balance between supply and demand as well as the culture, whether a specific CASH element is required during the recruitment process.
CASH stands for:
- - C = Curriculum Vitae; also referred to as resume
- - A = Appraisals; also referred to as references or recommendations
- - S = Skills; also referred to as hard skills or technical skills
- - H = Habits; also referred to as soft skills, communication skills or personality
Before I start to break down the individual steps in the CASH process, I would advise only to apply for those opportunities for which you sense that you would enjoy the assignment. It may seem a good strategy to apply for any job when supply is scarce, but personal development remains an important consideration. It is very frustrating for both customer and recruitment agent to spend energy on a candidate who is not really committed to consider the opportunity seriously.
The first CASH step is to send a Curriculum Vitae. There is no standard rule on what a CV must contain and how many pages it requires. It really depends on the individual. But I would advise to keep it to a maximum of 4 pages, use a small font and remove all kinds of noise. Be straightforward and to the point. At the top of the first page list personal information and add key words that will summarise your skills. Then also on the first page provide an executive summary, provide more details on your key skills and a high level overview of your previous assignments. As from the second page define the ingredients for the perfect role along with a detailed insight on your most recent assignments. Then list some of your career achievements, which gives you the opportunity to point out how you are able to apply your knowledge. Finally you could also list some strategic memberships. Along with your resume, you could also add a covering letter which gives you the opportunity to highlight some key elements based on the available job description. Not everyone would take the effort to add such a letter and you could use that knowledge to your advantage.
The next CASH step is the ability to offer people who can recommend you. Normally you would provide name, role and telephone number of those who have previously agreed to be a reference. Remember that end customers will google your name. So collect appraisals on social networking sites such as LinkedIn. It is impossible to add false recommendations to your LinkedIn profile, so take full advantage of the offered reliability.
The third CASH step may only occur when you deal with Asian consultancy companies. They tend to favour very technical interviews to verify the skills of the candidate. Expect very detailed questions, some may even be that extreme that you would find it difficult to understand the importance. But it is a filtering mechanism when there are a high number of candidates for one specific role. See it as an examination and try to answer as many questions as possible. Do not feel discouraged when you don't know an answer. Stay polite and ask at the end of the interview for the answer. When you were not satisfied with your contribution to the technical interview, note the gaps in your knowledge and take action to ensure that you perform better the next time.
The last CASH step covers the soft skills. What are your habits when it comes to functioning in a project or support team? Are you able to drive meetings? Are you able to achieve consensus between stakeholders? Are you able to stay calm when everyone around you seem to panic? Are you apply a pro-active approach towards work? Are you able to function within a team? Are you able to work independently? This is the moment when you can tell your success stories. Throughout your career you have made noteworthy achievements. So write them down. Start to explain which specific habit you are going to highlight and then give more details about the problem, resolution and achieved benefits. Try to keep these examples short by limiting yourself to 250 words. Whatever you say, remain customer focused. Remember that this conversation is not about you.
Let me finish with a comment concerning the offered market rate. The customer and recruitment agent are looking for the 'perfect candidate', but the ideal candidate does not need to be a 100% fit. Most customers would already be satisfied with a contractor with a skill set that matches 70% of the job specification. So even when you successfully passed the last step of the CASH process, the available budget of the customer could become your last obstacle. It just depends on the individual whether they prefer the cheapest option or the best qualified option. As you have no influence on that decision making process, make sure that at least you make a lasting impression when explaining your habits.
The CASH process is a new theory that I 'discovered' during one of my traditional morning walks. As the father of this new idea, I am keen to know whether this is useful for you while applying for new contract opportunities. Your comments will allow me to make improvements.
Thanks in advance for your feedback.
Regards,
Isard
My LinkedIN Page: http://www.linkedin.com/in/isardhaasakker
My Business Website: http://www.notiegeneration.eu
