Applying for any job can be stressful and Workday jobs are no exception. The Workday market is growing and as a highly-skilled market we're also seeing a significant increase in salaries across the board, especially for those with the most desirable skills.
These niche skills are more desirable than ever which is great if you've got some good experience under your belt but it also means that companies can be more demanding as well. When applying you need to make sure to be as pointed as possible during your application process to maximize your chance of bagging a top Workday job.
Having worked with Workday professionals for over 10 years we have seen a lot of CVs and have a good idea of what companies are looking for. To help you with your next application here is a quick and easy list that shows the most important information to include at this first stage.
First things first - don’t skip the CV basics!
Our director dedicated a blog to doing your CV basics brilliantly last year and whilst you may think your CV is in pretty good shape, a little health check never hurt anyone. If the basics aren’t there, no number of fancy follow-ups can make up for it! For me the most important to remember are:
- Keep it concise, don’t list every job you’ve ever had! Always start with the most recent too.
- Roles from 5-6 years ago should be a lot briefer than the rest. Company name, dates and job title will suffice.
- Make sure your contact details are up to date – don’t use your work email address!
- Formatting, spell check and proofread… twice! Can’t stress that one enough.
Once you have your CV fit for purpose it’s time to really focus on your Workday experience and the skills that will get you the position you deserve.
Be specific about your skills and experience
Whatever your role there are specific things all employers hiring a Workday Specialist will want to see from the previous experience on your CV.
I have broken this down by role below and you can use these as prompts when writing your summary and/or the detail of your most recent roles.
Project Managers
Agile working
- Are you an Agile project manager? If so, explain how you run your projects.
- If not, how do you manage your projects and how that works for you
Workstreams
- Do you manage a specific workstream or oversee multiple ones?
- How big is the scope of the programme you’re working on/ have worked on?
People management
- Are you managing a team? How many people report to you?
- How about up-wards management? How do you work with more senior members of staff to get the job done?
Budgets
- What size budgets are/were you working with? Providing the budget can help potential employers understand the size of the projects you’ve worked on
- How did you keep the project on budget?
Timeframe
- From Inception to Implementation to Hypercare/Support where did you fit in? Were you involved from start to finish, or brought in at a certain point?
- How quickly was the project delivered?
- Was it delivered in the originally planned timeframe?
- Are you leaving mid-project? Explain why.
Functional Consultants
Configuration
- This is one of the most niche and desirable skills - make it clear what you’ve done around configuration if it’s a skill you have.
- Explain in some detail which modules you have had experience in
- But also, if you specialise in one module be clear about that
Strengths
Employers also want to see which of the following areas you’re strongest in:
- Tenant set up
- Reporting competences (including Calculated fields experience)
- Creation of dashboards
- System administration
- Security set up
- Data capabilities (EIBs and iLoads)
Integration Consultants
Is your experience in creating new integration systems or adding functionality to existing integrations?
- What methods did you use to extract and transform data to securely?
- How hands-on were you with the process, including use of Workday delivered templates; custom reports; web services; payroll integrations and custom integrations built using the Workday Studio Application?
Data Conversions
Workday data migration implementation
- Where was the data sourced?
- What legacy systems where you moving data out of?
- Data cleansing - when validating data post-migration e.g. P0 and P1
- Which type of builds are you involved in?
In addition to your skills and experience, it’s a good idea to make sure you are clear about other factors that could impact your application. It can save a lot of time when it comes to offers and starting if these are known upfront.
Versions and Functionality
Have you worked with the newest modules: Recruiting; Talent & Performance; Time tracking; Learning? These niche skills are incredibly desirable so be sure to highlight these!
If you’ve had time away from Workday, make it clear what version you worked up to and which functionalities you are familiar with. Be honest about the version you last worked on. There’s no point in making out you are up to date with the technology if you’re not. Concentrate on your other relevant skills.
Contract or Permanent?
We’ve seen a steep rise in contract roles in recent years, so it’s a good idea to be clear on your application how you’ve been working previously and what type of employment you’re interested in now.
Remote or Office-based
Again, we’ve seen a rise in remote working over the years. If your preference is to work as you travel, or if you like the daily routine of being office-based, ensure everyone knows this from the beginning!
And finally, please, please, please, don’t ever speak in the third person!
So that’s it. It’s an ever-changing world out there and we’d love to get your feedback. So if you’d like to discuss anything in this blog, give me a shout.
Likewise, if you’d like to chat about your CV or any of our Workday jobs drop me an email or message on LinkedIn.
.png)
