As the HR Specialist and Administrator at Redstone Agency, one of my main focuses is finding the best talent to join our ever-growing team and make a positive impact on our clients and in the industries and communities they serve.
As the Redstone recruiter, I meet with so many people (virtually these days, of course) and it’s one of the most rewarding parts of my role. Throughout my time with Redstone – and all the applications read, and interviews conducted – I’ve compiled a list of tips and tricks for standing out of the crowd.
Read them all below or watch my vlog to get on my shortlist!
Application tips:
1. Do your homework. Applying to jobs can be exhausting, so my advice is to make sure you’re only spending time applying to jobs that you actually feel passionate and excited about. Take a look at our website, our social media, and our mission and make sure your core values align with ours. If you can see yourself being fulfilled by the work set out in the job description, and if the idea of working at Redstone makes you excited, please apply!
2. Address me by name! When you’re applying via email, greeting me by name shows you’ve taken your time in reviewing the job posting, have read the application instructions, and are adding a personalized touch to your email. This definitely catches my attention right off the bat!
3. After you’ve done your research, and you know that Redstone is the right fit for you and your career, tailor your cover letter and resume to reflect that. I promise that I spend time going through each and every application that I receive via email.
Are you applying to be an Event Planner, but don’t have much digital experience yet? Let me know how you plan to bring yourself up to speed. Or are you applying to be an Account Coordinator? Tell me about your skillset in administrative functions, email management and building relationships with clients. Tell me how you are the perfect fit for the role and why Redstone is the perfect fit for you.
Interview tips:
1. Since all interviews are currently conducted virtually, my first tip is to make sure your device is ready for a video call; these are typically conducted through Microsoft Teams. Joining the call one minute or two early shows that you were prepared, able to log in on time and eager to make a good first impression. Although this one might be obvious to some, there’s nothing more stressful than having tech issues before an interview. Coming prepared ensures that there’s one less thing to worry about, and you’re setting your best foot forward.
2. Be humble and honest! Everyone has made mistakes, but we want to learn how you were able to overcome them and learn from it. What’s an area you are actively working on improving? These won’t deter us from moving forward in the process with you, but instead will show us your humanity and how we can work together to best support your growth and development.
3. Be yourself. Redstone deeply cares about maintaining a fun and positive work environment (check out our core values 😉), so we really want to get to know YOU! We want you to be just as excited as we are and want to make sure you feel comfortable. Sharing a bit about yourself, your favourite novel, workout regime, or new recipe you discovered really allows us to build a connection – and also lets us foresee the different Redstone Committees or initiatives you might be interested in joining!
4. Ask questions. You are interviewing us as much as we are interviewing you. What do you really want to know? Making sure that this opportunity is the right fit for you is just as important as finding the right fit on our end.
5. Send a personalized thank you note! Making the effort to send a personalized email showing you appreciate our time throughout the process goes a long way. We value the candidate experience, and it’s great to see when this effort has been a positive experience for you as well. It’s great to receive thank you emails of what you specifically enjoyed, that way we can continue improving and sharing what’s important and valuable with future candidates.
6. Keep an open connection and line of communication. We’re constantly growing our team and have more than doubled in size within this past year alone. If the timing or specific role hasn’t aligned currently, keep in touch with us for future opportunities that come along! We are always creating new roles, and have new needs based on client requirements that you could be a great fit for.
If you see a current or future opportunity on our website that’s the right fit for you, send me your application! I’m looking forward to connecting with you soon through hr@redstoneagency.ca. If you’re interested in joining the Redstone Team, I’d love to meet with you.