Monday, January 19, 2015

The Job Market is Improving: 7 Ways to Increase Your Chances of Landing a New Job

Unemployment rates are going down, and many people are finding that the job searching process is a lot more hopeful than it’s been for a few years. If you haven’t been on the job hunt for a while, you may be a little rusty, and if you’re fresh out of school, you may feel overwhelmed. Here are some tips that will get you ready for a successful job search.

  1. Revamp your resume
    Are you using the same resume you submitted last time you were searching for a job? It may be in need of an update. The format may be outdated, and you may not be including your most relevant and recent experience. Check out some of our tips on creating a new and polished resume that you’ll be proud to start sending out to potential employers.

  2. Clean up your social media profiles
    Nowadays, you can expect that most employers will be Googling their candidates. Any information associated with your name will be easy to find, whether it’s your Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. It’s important to make sure no inappropriate content appears publicly on any of these pages.

  3. ...And then make those profiles into an asset!
    Social media can, however, also work in your favor. If an employer finds that you have an established professional internet presence, this will reflect positively on you as a candidate. Anyone who is on the job hunt should be on LinkedIn. You should make sure that your profile is updated with a professional picture and your experience and skills, and you should start adding connections. By reconnecting with people you’ve known, you increase your chances of finding job leads. Additionally, if you endorse your contacts for their skills, they are more likely to endorse you in return. A fully completed profile with ample connections and endorsements makes you look way more professional.

  4. Use online tools effectively Most job seekers are doing their searches online—often even from their phones and tablets. There are tons of job searching sites such as Indeed and SimplyHired that can be a great resource. Using these sites, you can search for jobs in your area and field, and you can even use advanced search options to specify parameters like salary. Indeed and SimplyHired are job search engines that scrape listings from recruitment websites, employer websites, and job boards. Job boards are sites where employers are posting their listings directly. These can be especially useful for niche areas if you’re looking for something in a really specific field. You can also set up email alerts from job websites so you can be notified when relevant jobs get posted.

  5. Figure out who you know, and reach out to them! It’s time to start evaluating who you know and if they can help you. Job search engines are great, but a connection can really help get your resume on the top of a recruiter’s pile. As mentioned above, LinkedIn can be a valuable tool for reconnecting with people who have worked with you in the past. However, rounding up your resources can also mean connecting on Facebook—or completely offline. Can any of your friends introduce you to someone who has connections related to your field? You may be surprised who is willing to help with your job hunt, and you’ll never know until you ask.

  6. Consider a staffing agency Job search engines are great for some people, but you may find that you feel a bit lost looking at the vast options. This is especially true if you’re not sure exactly what your skills are and what your ideal job would be. You may also want to talk to someone about your resume and LinkedIn if you don’t know where to begin. A staffing agency can get to know you well and then help find a job that is perfectly suited for you.

  7. Get ready to answer the phone You may be in the habit of ignoring calls from strange numbers, but when you’re submitting resumes, you’re going to get a lot of calls from strange numbers. You don’t want to miss any of them because you never know who might be calling you about a great opportunity. Be prepared to answer the phone promptly and sound professional and ready to talk.

If you utilize these tips, you may very well find your phone ringing with a great job offer. Now is your time to reap the benefits of the improving economy and land the job you’ve always wanted.

Labels: ,

Monday, January 5, 2015

New Year’s Resume Resolutions


Is updating your resume on your list of resolutions for 2015? If your resume hasn’t been revamped in years, it probably should be. You’ve changed, and so should your resume. These tips will help you create a new resume that accurately reflects where you are in your career and life now.

  1. Start from scratch.
    Of course, you can still refer back to your original resume. However, tacking more onto it will likely make it messier than it already is, so start out with a blank page. This will allow you to create a new resume that looks and feels fresh. Your resume probably seemed awesome when you first created it, but now it’s likely stale because new resume trends have taken over.

  2. Make it visually engaging.
    There’s more competition for employment than ever, so you need a resume that stands out. A visually engaging resume goes a long way. Your objective should be clear and prominent at the top of the page so a recruiter can glance at it and know who you are and what you are seeking. Sticking to one page makes your resume easy to consume, and the most significant information should be listed first so it is not missed.

  3. Make sure it looks good on a computer screen.
    Nowadays, you are most likely to submit your resume online rather than printing it out. Word documents will not necessarily look the same in different versions of the program. Converting your resume to a PDF ensures that the formatting won’t get messed up.

  4. Don’t include irrelevant experience. Your resume should reflect your current career goals. You don’t need to feature every single job or project you’ve done in your life. Maximize the power of your resume by including your most relevant and impressive experience. Think about skills you have that are relevant to the career you want. The part-time food service job you worked in college is probably not necessary if you’ve since held professional positions in your field.

  5. Use the story telling approach. Don’t just list what your job responsibilities were. Describe what you actually did and how you did it. If your resume tells a story, a recruiter will better understand not just the roles you held but how you approached your job. Highlight what you accomplished at your company using specific details.

  6. Consider taking risks. All of these tips are about making your resume stand out, but if you really want to stand out, you may want to consider a non-traditional resume. There are a few types that are gaining popularity:
    • Video resumes consist of between one and five minutes in which you describe your skills and experience. Usually a video resume is a supplement to a paper resume, not a replacement.
    • Infographic resumes take “visually engaging” to the next level. You can use charts with real data to prove exactly how you’ve enacted change in your past positions.
    • Online portfolios are a great way to show examples of your work, especially if you are a writer or graphic designer. You can also link to your social media profiles like Twitter or LinkedIn, which is especially valuable for positions in media and marketing.
    (This step isn’t for everyone, and certain fields may be more receptive to non-traditional resumes than others. Do some research on trends that are specific to your industry; however, doing something that’s different from similar candidates may also give you an edge. Ultimately, you should feel comfortable with your resume—the more it reflects you, the more likely you are to find a job that is the right fit.)

Hopefully some of these tips will give you the inspiration you need to make a resume that will truly knock a recruiter’s socks off. Once you’ve created your new resume and are excited to share it, you’ll be able to approach your job hunt with new confidence.

Labels: