Long gone are the days when you picked up the Employment section of the daily newspaper, read the ads, and applied by mailing a letter and a resume. With the dawn of online job postings, the process is much faster. But that has resulted in a very large number of applications per opening and a higher number of rejections for job seekers. Fewer than 20 percent land their next role merely by responding to a posting.
The keys to a successful job search today are different and varied. Candidates have to work harder to differentiate themselves, given the volume of applicants. And they have to learn multiple software platforms and other technologies to stay in the game.
- Job seekers have to clearly outline the results they have achieved, not just the roles they’ve held and the duties they were given. And they have to think about the cosmetics of their resume to provide information in a format that encourages recruiters to actually read it. Faced with hundreds of applicants, recruiters often make a decision within 7 seconds on whether to continue reading.
- Candidates need to research a company before applying so they are ready for “cultural fit” questions from the first screener. Just having the right skills and experience often isn’t enough.
- They must learn to deflect salary questions early in the process or risk pigeon-holing their negotiating power once negotiations get serious.
- They must know how to handle virtual interviews, including some that involve talking to an automated system that records their answers without an interviewer being present.
- Today’s candidates are expected to have a wide array of technical skills since most jobs involve using computers and multiple hardware systems and software applications. Artificial Intelligence tools like ChatGPT are now in the mix.
- They are much more likely to be given an array of assessments when they apply for a job to measure aptitude, personality type, and specific skills.
- It’s also more common that they will speak with a search firm recruiter who decides whether or not to present them to an employer.
- But the biggest difference in searching for a job in the 21st century is the need to make networking the predominant strategy for finding the right role and succeeding in being chosen. No wonder LinkedIn has surpassed one billion profiles – its networking filters are incredible.
If all this sounds daunting, don’t fear. I can help you speed up the learning process AND the favorable outcomes. Email me at pbreck77@gmail.com
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