In a very crowded space how do find a job? How do you stand apart from the other job search candidates? How do you know what tips to follow when there are so many experts out there giving advice? Like anything in life, it’s important to weigh the contradictory information. What makes the most sense to you?
Don’t be afraid to try something new because it’s radically different from what you’ve heard or seen before.
Phil Rosenberg a job search consultant shared a few tips on his webinar, Resume Revolution, which made me think carefully about the new “Job Search” era that we find ourselves in. The old ways of doing things simply no longer work.
The cover letter is no longer QUEEN; her reign has come to an end – if your information is not on your resume that means it simply does not exist. It’s also time to bury the Highlights, Objectives, or Summary statements because they occupy Prime Resume Real Estate, and it is about What’s In It For Me.
The new kid in town is What’s In It For Them.
Here are some tips that Rosenberg shared:
- When you send your electronic resume, send it in a .doc format and not .docx, .pdf or dot, except if you are a designer and want to showcase your talent use .pdf.
- Employers get flooded with resumes for each available job so they use Applicant Tracking Systems which search for keywords. All the information that candidates once put in their cover letter to demonstrate why they are qualified for the position now goes into the resume. Make sure the main keywords the employer is looking for is on your resume.
- Heavily customize your resume for each position you apply for to prevent the Applicant Tracking System from screening you out.
- The average time spent on a resume to decide whether or not to grant an interview is 15 seconds, so you have only 15 seconds to make a great first impression.
- Demonstrate value don’t list your previous responsibilities. How did you save your previous employers money? How did you increase revenue and by much? What systems did you introduce to increase efficiency and by how much? Always think What’s In It for Them. If you received a prestigious award, why did you receive it, was it because you solved a critical workplace problem?
- In fiction writing they always advise the writer to show and not tell, so describe why you are the correct fit for the organization.
- Do not waste your time applying for jobs on job boards because that’s not how the majority of jobs are found. Instead use them for research to determine which industries and organizations are hiring. Use your research findings to build your target list and gather insider information. Find out more about these organizations from your contacts on LinkedIn and Twitter.
- Brand yourself as a Subject Matter Expert, the days of the generalists are over.
- Use social tools and networks like Google, LinkedIn and Twitter to make yourself findable.
- Use your resume to demonstrate that you are the perfect person to fix the organization’s problem. Organizations hire because they have problems.
Phil Rosenberg offers programs to assist his clients to navigate the new job search maze, but I am sure if you use these tips from his webinar, you are much further ahead than other job seekers.
How can you use this information? What do you have to add to the conversation? Let’s keep the conversation flowing, please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. Many readers read this blog from other sites, so why don’t you pop over to The Invisible Mentor and subscribe (top on the right hand side) by email or RSS Feed.
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That’s a great story, thank you for sharing. People have to change with the times even if it’s uncomfortable.