The job search market is changing and fast. Social media has changed the recruitment landscape, creating a bigger and broader platform on which employers and prospective employees can connect and get to know each other. How do you catch up and stay ahead of the game?
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“Employers have ever more candidates to evaluate in their search for the perfect fit solution to their need for talent,” writes Arnie Fertig in US News. “And in the continuing wake of the Great Recession, career expectations have changed for new grads trying to get a career started, baby boomers with dated skills and just about everyone in between.”
To discover trends that affect those workers, Fertig looked to The Career Thought Leaders Consortium‘s white paper detailing the discussions of their Career Brainstorming Day. Among the 10 outlined in the paper:
1. Recruiters are overwhelmed with various technologies and crunched for time. Recruiters only spend six seconds on a resume now. So if your resume doesn’t stand out or address the needs of the organization, you’ve lost your chance. When applying for a position, be thorough. Understand the requirements listed and customize your resume to address those needs as much as possible. When interacting with the organization through various channels, speak to the need of the organization; highlight relevant skill sets and experience that could address their current requirements.
2. Resumes will become an aggregation of social media: Job applicants will have shorter resumes with links to work, infographics, etc. And it’s now a fact that recruiters Google you to know a bit more about you that’s not on the resume. So make sure you have a clean and professional online presence. Search for yourself and see if the content that shows up is in fact the content you want your future employer to see.
3. LinkedIn is a complement to the resume, not a mirror: According to Jobvite’s 2014 report on how job seekers and employers are using social media to search for jobs, 94 percent of recruiters use LinkedIn to source and verify candidates while only 36 percent job seekers actively use and update their information. Make it a habit to update your LinkedIn profile with your accomplishments. Let the creative juices flow but keep your information real.
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