Pacific jobseekers urged to embrace confidence amid tough employment market

An employment expert advises Pacific job seekers to set aside their humility when applying for jobs, particularly in New Zealand's competitive labour market.

The latest Westpac McDermott Miller Employment Confidence Index shows a decline of 3.3 points, bringing the confidence level to 88.3 in the March quarter, which is nearing post-Covid lows.

Speaking with William Terite on Pacific Mornings, CV.CO.NZ Managing Director Tom O’Neil acknowledges that job cuts have impacted many Pacific people during this challenging job market.

He says a key issue is that candidates often undersell themselves, but that “as an employer”, they must recognise a person’s true value.

“Therefore, it's important in this one time in society to stand up and say, ‘I am passionate about this industry, I have had these achievements’,” O’Neil says.

“That's not arrogance, that's truth if you've had these great achievements. You do it in a way that is towards what they're seeking and authentically share your value.”

O’Neil advises job seekers to align their CVs with specific roles by incorporating the relevant keywords from the job advertisement so employers can easily recognise their fit for the position.

He also cautions against hastily compiling a CV at the last minute, as it serves as the document that informs employers about a candidate’s value for the role.

“The first person that reads your CV is probably a 22-year-old recruiter, and in that context, they probably don't know what you do in real-world terms.

“So it's important to look at the job advertisement and mirror those keywords into your summary, CV [and] your interview so they're hearing what they need to rather than [trying to] figure it out themselves.”

Regarding Westpac’s Employment Confidence index, O'Neil says low employment confidence makes businesses hesitant to hire.

“No one's going to go and say ‘let's invest in this new role’ or ‘invest in this old role that we made someone redundant for’ until they feel totally comfortable and confident in doing it.”

Despite the decline in SEEK’s recent job advertisement volumes report over the past few years, O’Neil believes the last eight months represent a “bottom plateau”, with the potential “light at the end of the tunnel”.

“I know this recent survey says that’s not the case, but overall, I think we're pointing slowly in the right direction. We’re like a really giant ship that is slowly turning its course.

“You can't quite see the course staging, but I think there is movement, which I think is very positive for later this year.”