4 ways recruiters find candidates

1. CV aggregatorsYou heard it here first: CV aggregators are the future of online recruitment. Fast becoming the tool of choice for tech-savvy employers, aggregators search multiple CV databases and the internet generally, matching candidate profiles to a set of recruitment criteria. The result is an automatically generated shortlist for us humans to review. Scary stuff, perhaps, given that in order to be picked out you need to first convince some software you're a great candidate. But, with a well-honed – or, in this case, optimised – CV, the rise of aggregators can be turned to your advantage. The trick is to make sure you include the keywords that someone recruiting for your type of role would use to search for suitable candidates. If you are an experienced marketing candidate make sure terms like "SEO", "direct marketing", and "affiliate marketing" get prominent mentions. As always, clear, concise and fact-packed CVs stand out, so make sure yours is word perfect before uploading it anywhere. 2. Job sites, great and smallEmployers use job sites to post job vacancies but also to search their CV databases. Many recruiters will use large, generalist sites such as totaljobs.com to proactively find candidates because they attract large volumes of traffic. But make sure you also create profiles on suitable niche sites too; boards that focus on specific audiences, geographies, or industries provide a pool of high quality, relevant candidates. With the recent explosion of these sites, it's important you have a presence to gain the exposure you need.3. Graduate jobs fairsThese fairs, set up by universities and big firms, enable employers to meet ambitious graduates and attract the best talent. With the top 100 employers increasing the number of graduate jobs for 2010 by 12% (that's 1,600 more jobs), it's important to register your interest at events where top recruiters will be keeping an eye out for good candidates. Look out for fairs covering specific careers such as teaching and law and keep an eye on what's on locally. You'll also find virtual graduate recruitment events hosted online – totaljobs graduate zone will be running Gradu8 this November.4. Online business networksProfessional networks such as LinkedIn allow you to cultivate new and existing business connections, but they're also another place recruiters look for candidates – passive applicants who fit the spec can be approached about unadvertised job opportunities. There are plenty of smaller networking sites out there (e.g. Xing, Viadeo, Ecademy), so make sure you have a presence anywhere that's relevant to your industry. Employers may be getting candidates from topic-based networking sites, forums, and blogs. You never know where you might make that all-important connection. The name of the game is exposure – just make sure it's in the right places and that you attract attention for the right reasons.  Finally, don't just register and leave it at that. Create a detailed profile and keep it up-to-date, and exploit all the functions: if you're looking for a specific role, say so with your status updates; use company profiles to research where you'd like to work, then track down the hiring manager.