Applicant or Antique? 5 Ways you Look Out-of-Date in Your Job Search
For many, looking for a job is something that isn’t practiced often enough for them to be considered an expert on the subject. It could be years or even decades before you find yourself needing to update your résumé and hit the job search path again. If you’re just starting out in your career, you may not know where to begin on the latest trends in the constantly changing job market.
Hiring trends have changed drastically in the past few years and it can be hard to tell what parts of your job search are still effective or what should be left in the dust. It’s important to stay current on the latest trends in the job market. If you can’t appear current, informed, and on top of what’s going on, an employer might not think you’ll be able to stay updated on their business to help it grow in the future.
Before you feel like you’re in over your head, here are some ways you could be labeling yourself as outdated to potential employers, how to avoid them, and how to stay ahead of the game.
Universal Résumé
A decade ago, a job seeker could whip up a résumé, send it off to prospective employers, job boards, and websites like Monster, sit on the couch, and wait for the phone to ring with potential employers. Those hiring crunch days have passed. Employers are looking for the right candidates with specific skills and certain experiences. While the economy is improving, a business could receive hundreds of applications for an open position and will have to find ways of narrowing down that pool of prospects. Today, many employers use document-reading software that will pick applications and résumés based on key words described in the job description. That’s why it’s important to customize your résumé to specifically match the requirements, language, and wording from the job description.
LinkedIn That’s LackIn’
LinkedIn is a wonderful business-focused site that allows job seekers to network with professionals from all over the world. Employers and experts use LinkedIn to learn new information from their peers, increase their visibility, and search for new talent. Recruiters frequently look through LinkedIn to find potential employees who have certain skills and training that is right for them. This gives job seekers a great opportunity to be found, if their information is complete and frequently updated. If you left a previous employer on good terms, ask a few former co-workers or managers to write a recommendation for you and offer to write one for those who influenced you the most.
Going Missing on Google
A lot of people are proud of the fact that they are “off the radar.” If you try to Google their names, you won’t find anything about them. They may be claiming that they’re protecting their privacy, but to some employers, a missing profile is a nobody. In 2009, Microsoft released a survey saying 79% of U.S. employers check out applicants using a search engine before considering them for a job. Even if they find unpleasant information about someone with the same name, it can reflect poorly and the application could get rejected. It’s important to have a professional image online so potential employers can see that you are up to date and savvy, or else they just might keep looking.
Omitted Interview Investigation
Before the days of the internet, you had to go out of your way to research a potential employer. It was risky, but still somewhat acceptable to go into an interview with little to no knowledge of the company they were interviewing with. If you walk into an interview asking basic questions that can be answered on the employer’s website, you won’t be seen as somebody who really wants the position and will take it seriously. Take an hour or two to look through an employer’s website, blog, and social media profiles to get an idea of who they are and what they do. If you can’t find answers there, then you can ask more detailed questions during the interview. It shows you’ve taken initiative to really understand the job and the company.
Limited Network Connection
The vast majority of hiring is made through people employers already know or who are connected to someone they know. Hiring is expensive and they want an employee they can trust. By missing out on the tremendous networking opportunities social media sites can provide, you are immensely limiting yourself from some influential people in your community, profession, or industry. Social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ are great ways to start conversations and network with old friends, industry peers, and classmates who can help you find a job.
Using the internet to update your job search has its dangers, but you run a bigger risk appearing outdated and uninformed if you don’t stay current with today’s changing trends. With these helpful hints, you’ll be a savvy seeker in no time.
By Jared Cole
Looking for more advice about your job search or your career? Check out Movin' On Up, the Express job blog, to find the tips and information you need to succeed.
Job Genius is a publication of Express Services, Inc. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
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