In today’s business world, a college degree does not
automatically lead to a great job the way it typically did in the past. Today,
in addition to that college degree, one has to learn how to find a job -- and
be good at it. This additional challenge represents a significant barrier to
some job seekers and especially to more mature people who have a hard time
keeping up with fast-developing technology that requires new skills. So, the
following are a few tips regarding both what to
do and how to do it.
Online and in-person networking
Beyond LinkedIn, recruiters use Twitter, Facebook and other
social media to find, select and qualify talent. Those new tools -- which
10 years ago were either nonexistent or in their infancy stage -- are
absolutely essential for today’s job seekers to be familiar with. A job seeker
who does not show up on recruiters’ screens is simply ignored. This is a huge
punishment for those who need a job. To be found and deemed qualified,
candidates must learn how to use social media -- and then use it
extensively -- beyond the three mentioned here. Social media are not only
the venues for finding jobs but also tools that establish a positive reputation
and credibility. Just remember that there are many, many applicants for just a
few openings.
In-person networking supplements other social media
networking. In-person networking should be considered a business transaction
and not just social interaction the way many job seekers practice it. When
networking in person, ask
for opinions, introductions and referrals. Don’t be
bashful; be slightly aggressive but still tactful. Most people are willing to
help if asked.
Tools for job seekers
Because technology has changed the job search system for both
employers and job seekers, the latter group needs to quickly catch up.
Employers use technology to source for talent. The majority of medium-size
companies use some type of recruiting management system. Companies were forced
into using such systems so they could become able to deal with larger and
larger volumes of applicants, so they could save money, and so they could speed
up the process. Most of the different kinds of applicant-tracking systems (ATSs)
have become web-based, which extends access to the system by anyone in the
organization who’s involved with the hiring process. This means that job
seekers need to appeal to those people in the organization and not exclusively
to human resources as in the past.
Regardless of which system recruiters use, job seekers need to
improve their ranking in order to be found. Think about a Google search. Here
are a few tips for improving ranking:
• Use
TagCrowd.com to visually match your résumé and the job description.
• Match
your résumé to the keywords used in the job description.
• Use
Microsoft Word to format your résumé, and avoid textboxes, tables and
graphics.
• Under
the heading "Professional Experience," list first the name of the
company where you most recently worked; then, to the right of that, the dates
of your tenure there; and then under the company name, the name of the position
you held. Add a line or two of responsibilities or job duties, and then a
bulleted list of a few specific and preferably quantifiable accomplishments.
Then do the same for the job previous to that one.
The new ATSs incorporate social media tool functionality to
reach passive candidates, to advertise job opportunities and to build
talent communities for specific industries. Therefore, to generate multiple
options for themselves, job seekers must at all times deploy diverse approaches
to job seeking. Candidates need to learn how various ATSs work in order to get
high enough scores to be found by a particular company’s system. A description
of familiarizing oneself with the systems is vaster than can be accomplished
here and will be the topic of one of my future articles.
Written By: Alex Freund
Credit; Entrepreneur.com
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