BEFORE YOU APPLY FOR THAT JOB!

Credits : www.topresume.com

Job seeking is never fun, of course, but a well-prepared job seeker is more likely to find the process less stressful. Looking for work is not a science and there are many factors that come into play, but in conducting a job search in today’s current market, there are a number of things that everyone will be happier to know from the outset.

Use your network.

Let’s start with something that may be out of your control. More and more positions are being filled without being advertised. You would have a hard time conducting a job search now without hearing about networking and how important it is, and that’s especially true in the market as it stands.
A referral is more likely to get the position, simply because HR staff are busy and why not hire someone who already has an advocate within the company? Since informal hiring is happening on a greater scale, if you’re currently looking for work, remember that you are always looking for work. That 4th of July cookout? Perhaps your volleyball teammate knows of an opening that would fit your skill set. Don’t focus only on the old ways of looking for a job – get out, get to know people, and treat every interaction as a potential opportunity!

Clean up your act on social media.

Companies often Google search a candidate before hiring, and social media can be an immediate red flag. Before starting your job hunt, clean up your Facebook! Many people respond to this advice defensively, feeling that it’s Orwellian to have your actions monitored even on social media, but the truth is, once it’s out there, it’s hard to remove it. Review your privacy settings and if it’s questionable, maybe leave it off the Internet.

You are going to need a strong resume.

Standards for resumes change all the time and just because it worked three or ten years ago doesn’t mean your resume will work now. Since a vast majority of positions that do make it out to job boards will be using online applications, the look of your resume matters far less than the content. It certainly should still be attractive and easy to read, but color and artistic flair are just going to confuse the computer screens. In fact, some of the ATS software doesn’t read serif fonts at all, so your amazing career background is not even reaching a person just because your font isn’t one the computer recognizes. Keep your resume simple! Content is key in the digital age, not the visual bells and whistles.

Be mindful of the ATS.

In continuing with the resume theme, another element that will impact how likely your resume is to get past the software is your use of keywords. When advice columns tell you to utilize keywords or to read the posting, they mean it! If the ad states you need experience with x, y, and z, then be sure X, Y, and Z are on your resume if you have that experience! It may be more work, yes, but sending out a resume to be rejected by a robot isn’t an effective use of your time, either.

Focus on your accomplishments.

Another resume tip: If you are applying for a position as a nurse or as a sales manager, we all have a basic understanding of your job description. Sending in a resume with a generic list of nursing or sales responsibilities isn’t going to make you stand out. Why are you the perfect nurse? What makes you different from the other 200 sales managers applying for the position? The answer is simple: accomplishments. Did you create a new training module for new nurses on HIPAA compliance? Was your sales team the first to tap into that challenging market? These are the key points to focus on in your resume. While the job description details can hit the keywords, they should not be the meat of your resume.