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#JobSearch : Will Your Resume Impress Employers? Take This Quiz To Find Out. Fact: Over 75% of Resumes Never Get Seen by Human Eyes. A MUst REad!

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Linda is a baby boomer who has spent her entire career working in the HR field. This Human Resources Manager currently works at a Fortune 500 company, and she asked for help writing her resume. Kathy said, “I look at resumes all the time. Thousands have passed through my hands, but when it comes to writing my own, I have difficulty doing it. I’m horrible at self-marketing. A resume is just a slick piece of advertising, but it is crucial to your success in getting hired.”

Human eyes never see many resumes. When you make it through the screening process, employers report that most resumes only get a 15-to-20-second glance. If you do not capture their attention quickly, they pass you by and call someone else in for an interview.

Writing a persuasive resume is challenging for most people. Yet, a top-quality resume that effectively sells your skills and accomplishments to an employer is essential to your success. Is yours impressive enough to grab a recruiter’s attention? Will your resume get through the employer’s Applicant Tracking System? There are mistakes you need to avoid in writing your resume. I have created this quiz based on dozens of hiring surveys, hundreds of employer interviews, and 30 years of resume writing experience. It does not matter what generation you are from. I’ve worked with people from every age group to create eye-catching resumes that land the new job.

Let’s put your resume under a “hiring magnifying glass.” First, look at your current resume and take the following quiz to see if your resume stands out.

Are you getting interviews?

This is a yes or no question. Maybe you haven’t tested the waters yet. But if you have, and no recruiters have sought you out, or you are not getting appropriate interviews, you may need professional intervention to learn why your resume is not working. Typically, it is not getting through the ATS or may be too generic without specific accomplishments. Then again, you may be applying for jobs for which you aren’t qualified. No interviews mean you must overhaul and edit it to stress your crucial work tasks, accomplishments, and related experience.

 

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Best Daily Choice: Follow the Best of FSC Career Articles/Blogs @

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Question: Want the ‘the best/current articles/blogs on the web’ on Job Search, Resume, Advancing/Changing your Career, or simply Managing People?

Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & Type(#Jobsearch, #Resume, or #Networking) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, LLc (FSC) is celebrating over 30 years in the delivery of corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 of our corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, UK, & Mexico!  

We here at FSC want to thank each of corporate partners in the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment !

Article continued …

Is your resume loaded with results?

These are the top criteria employers want to see. Accomplishments and results are what recruiters and hiring managers want to know about. They want proof that you will excel in the job based on the results you have achieved in previous positions you’ve worked at in the past. Outline what you have increased or decreased, how you saved money or time, made the organization money, created something new, solved a big problem, or how you improved employee productivity.

Does your resume use detailed job descriptions?

Vague, general resumes with wordy job descriptions often are ineffective. It is specifics that sell and capture attention. So, first, target the resume to the job you seek. Then, incorporate only the information pertinent to doing that specific job in the resume. This will alleviate the tendency to crowd your resumé with too much nonrelated information or too much detail on older positions that may not be relevant now.

Did you use keywords?

CNBC reported that over 75% of resumes never get seen by human eyes. An uploaded resume goes through scanning software called the applicant tracking system or ATS. To be found when the human recruiter or hiring manager searches, you need to add appropriate keywords. This does not mean copying every word from the job opening and putting them into your resume. Most employers seek your hard and pertinent soft skills determined by the work tasks you have done in the past. Try reviewing several job openings. You will see a pattern: employers want specific skills, knowledge, and experience. Then incorporate those work tasks and job functions in your resume.

Does your resume include a Summary of Qualifications section?

This four-to-six-sentence section includes your experience and top-selling points to do the job. This section is quite influential with employers, but most candidates neglect to include it. This part of the resume has an incredible impact since employers reported that this is the very first area they read. And it concisely demonstrates your solid ability to perform the advertised job.

Do you list competencies up near the top of the resume?

These are typically created in a table, and most employers’ Applicant Tracking Systems cannot read tables. So this section comes across as blank when the employer sees your submitted resume. Instead of a list, employers prefer to see the skills in a statement that shows how you have used that particular skill on the job. So, for example, instead of listing something like project management as a competency, write a bulleted statement under a position you have held to illustrate how you used that in a job.

Is your resume visually appealing?

The appearance of the resume cannot be overemphasized! Don’t get creative with your resume. Fancy fonts, tables, columns, text boxes, colored ink, graphics, charts, headers, and footers are often unable to be read by most of the Applicant Tracking Systems employers use. Instead, you get blanks or garbled, unreadable text. Use a standard format. Use italicizing, CAPITALS, underlining, bolding, indentations, and bullets to emphasize your essential points. Keep your font readable. Size 12 is best and only use standard fonts like Arial or Times Roman.

How do you start each sentence under professional experience?

Begin sentences with descriptive action verbs, such as established, analyzed, implemented, designed, or spearheaded. They add power to your sentences by demonstrating actions. For example, never use the word “I” in your resume. Instead, action verbs help you create powerful statements by listing the step you took and the results the action created.

Have you used acronyms and abbreviations?

Spell out names of schools, cities, work acronyms, and abbreviations completely. It is better to give complete information, as employers may not recognize abbreviations or acronyms. In addition, they often glance over the resume, and you do not want them to get tripped up or annoyed when you do not state the entire phrase.

How long is your resume?

Two pages are the current maximum employers want to see or are willing to read. Whether you are a 60-year-old executive or a professional with years of experience, being brief and concise works best. Be a skillful editor, deleting the portions which are not relevant or are least helpful to supporting the job title you currently seek. Employers look for experience at the current levels so emphasize your work done in the last seven-to-ten years.

Did you proofread it?

Employers notice and hate typos and mistakes. Be sure you proofread the resume a couple of times. Then ask another person to review it carefully too, so you eliminate any errors. Ensure your resume is perfect before you submit it.

 

Forbes.com Author:  Robin Ryan :   Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website or some of my other work here.

 

Forbes.com | August 9, 2022

#JobSearch : Surprise -The Hiring Manager Is More Anxious Than The Job Seeker. What Hiring Managers Obsessively Worry About. MUst REad!

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Here is a hack that will make you feel more confident in your job search: the interviewer and hiring managers are more nervous than you are.

It’s hard to wrap your mind around this concept, as people are indoctrinated to think that job seekers should be the ones who are nervous and anxious going into an interview. They worry about being judged. Job hunters must contend with the shame of not moving onto the next level in the interview process. Even worse, they don’t receive feedback and get ghosted. The hiring process feels—to the job seeker—like the company, human resources, management and internal talent acquisition professionals hold all of the power.

What Hiring Managers Obsessively Worry About

A supervisor needs to hire. They want to make sure that the applicant possesses all of the requirements listed in the job description. The interviewer also wants to feel that they can click with the candidate and forge a mutually beneficial relationship.

If a person is a software engineer, the company can test their skills during the hiring process to tangibly assess their coding abilities. It’s not that easy for the average job seeker. You almost have to just hope for the best. The manager is at a disadvantage, as they rely upon what the candidate says about their background, skills and experience. While references are called upon, most candidates scam the system. They only provide the names of people who they know will say warm and glowing things about them.

If the manager decides to make an offer and it doesn’t work out well, the supervisor loses political capital and is embarrassed. For instance, once an offer is extended, it takes time to be reviewed and approved by senior-level executives.

 

Oftentimes, especially in hot job markets, there is a lot of haggling concerning compensation, stock, options, benefits and corporate title. There may be an uncomfortable debate over the permitted work style—remote, hybrid, in-person, relocation to a lower-cost location or being a digital nomad.

The back-and-forth changes to the offer letter, which drags in human resources and a layer of management can start to irritate the bosses. They have their own work to do and feel that the direct manager can’t handle it.

 

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Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

Best Daily Choice: Follow the Best of FSC Career Articles/Blogs @

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Question: Want the ‘the best/current articles/blogs on the web’ on Job Search, Resume, Advancing/Changing your Career, or simply Managing People?

Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & Type(#Jobsearch, #Resume, or #Networking) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, LLc (FSC) is celebrating over 30 years in the delivery of corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 of our corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, UK, & Mexico!  

We here at FSC want to thank each of corporate partners in the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment !

Article continued …

What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

A job seeker, who said they love the job, spends weeks nitpicking the offer letter, finally accepting the offer. Everyone involved breathes a sigh of relief. The team members are ecstatic over the news, as they’ll get some relief with the new hire.

The day before the new hire is supposed to start, the person emails the human resources representative involved with the process and copies everyone else, writing, “I’m sorry to have to let you know, but I’ve accepted another offer from a different company.” The now-former incumbent adds, “The other organization is paying significantly more money, is allowing me to work remotely and didn’t give as much pushback as you did. At the end of the day, I’m sure you appreciate that I need to do what’s best for my family.”

The direct supervisor is mortified. They feel betrayed and embarrassed. Over the three-week notice period, they were reassuring the senior executives, human resources and everyone else involved that things were going well. The office was already set up, including a computer, phone, desk, chair, paintings on the wall and a welcome gift package with balloons.

The team was anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new team member, as they’ve been putting in long hours and weekends, helping with the extra workload. Now, they’re confronted with the harsh reality that there’s no help coming to the rescue. Even if the company commences a new search, it could take months. The workers will likely all complain and at least one person may quit for another job elsewhere, placing additional stress on the remainers.

The candidate in question moved on with their life. They are happy to have received a great offer. Meanwhile, the manager is miserable. The person feels that they let everyone down. The next level up is upset that this turned out so wrong. They now have to worry about the safety of their own job.

Lack Of Interview Training And Time Constraints

For some reason, leadership feels interviewing is an easy and natural thing to do. A quirk in the corporate system is that a sizable number of managers, who may be great at their jobs, don’t possess the social skills and etiquette to effectively interview people. It looks easy, but it’s not. Companies generally don’t offer interview training courses. They just assume managers will know what to do. This accounts for why you always get the clichè job questions. For many professionals thrown into the hiring process, interviewing is a frightening, nerve-wracking experience.

It’s also stressful, as they’re pulled away from their core responsibilities to read through dozens of rèsumès, coordinate and meet with three to 10 applicants over six months. For an extended period, the hiring manager needs to juggle his workload, oversee the staff and stay heavily invested in the recruiting process.

The next time you go to an interview and notice that the boss looks harried, worn out, unprepared and clearly didn’t read your rèsumè or view your LinkedIn profile, you can understand why, as you are now aware of what goes on behind the scenes.

The Paralyzing Effect Of Groupthink

It used to be that a candidate would meet with human resources, the boss and maybe one or two other people within a few weeks to a month. The current trend calls for a candidate to meet with the human resources, the manager, the manager’s boss, other executives within the division, peers, underlings, business counterparts and some others who clearly don’t know why they’ve been invited.

With so many people involved, the process becomes long and clunky. As up to 10 people need to be looped into the interview process, there will always be someone who is out sick, stuck on a conference call, running late or simply forgot to put it into their calendar. This process needs to be repeated over and over again for around six to 10 candidates.

No one wants to be the one to make the final decision, as they don’t want the finger-pointing and blame, in case the incumbent employee turns out to be a disaster. The hiring manager will lean on the other interviewers to weigh in with their opinions. If there are a few dissenters, a low-confidence manager will remove the person from consideration and the process starts all over again. This is similar to the annoyance of trying to get family members or a group of friends to all agree on a movie to watch or where to go for dinner.

Fear Of Lawsuits Or Being Called Out For Biases

This topic is largely avoided in polite circles. Ten-plus years ago, human resources or the hiring manager would offer feedback and constructive criticism throughout the hiring process. If the candidate was not selected for an offer, the HR person or hiring manager would tell them the reasons why they were not chosen. It was an uncomfortable conversation, but it was made. The company deemed it the right and fair thing to do by offering its reasons as to why the applicant wasn’t moving forward—giving the job seeker closure.

In today’s litigious society, everyone is worried about lawsuits or being labeled. There is a fear that if feedback is offered, it could be misconstrued as being sexist, racist or some other prejudice or bias. People involved with hiring are afraid of having their reputation ruined and being fired or viewed as a pariah. An allegation could lead to their career being over. No other company would touch them. The path of least resistance is to ghost the applicant and not say or write anything at all.

How You Can Benefit From The Situation And Close The Deal

Now that you know what is happening behind the curtains, you realize that the people responsible for hiring have to deal with stress, fear and anxiety. Of course, if you are in between roles, you suffer from similar feelings. However, the applicant can always walk away. The HR professional and everyone involved with the recruiting process are still at the company.

You can use this information to your advantage. You know now how to play the game. Make the interviewer’s life easy by offering days and times that work best for the hiring manager. Show up with extra copies of your rèsumè. Have a tight, concise elevator pitch handy, in case they didn’t do their homework on you. Be polite and understanding, as you know the hoops that they are made to jump through. You also won’t get as offended now that you understand their challenges.

A key takeaway to closing the deal is to say, “I enjoyed the conversations with everyone. The company and people are all great. My experience, background, talents and education meet and exceed all of the requirements on the job description. I believe that I would be a great candidate and offer value to your organization.”

Then, you go for the close, “If you would offer me the role at the compensation we discussed, I’d happily accept the offer!” Add, “I promise that if the offer is extended I won’t entertain a counteroffer for a competing offer from another company.”

This will make the nervous hiring manager relax, as they know they found the right person who will take the offer and end the laborious hiring process. The boss can go back to their job, the staff gets additional help, you get a great new job and everyone is happy.

 

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website or some of my other work here.
Forbes.com | June 28, 2022

#JobSearch : Wondering Why You’re Not Getting Job Interviews? Here’s Why. Great REad!

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Of course, you’re feeling confused and frustrated. With the Great Resignation still underway and job openings at a record high, you might have started your job search thinking it would be a piece of cake.

Now, you’re stuck wondering why you’re not getting more job interviews, even though you’re pretty qualified for the roles you’re applying for these days. But, before you assume you’re doomed or out of luck, here are three resume mistakes that might be the culprit:

Your resume focuses on the wrong results.

It’s not your fault. Most resume advice tells you to make your bullets results-oriented. But, results-oriented bullets are pointless if they focus on the wrong results. Your resume could have tons of numbers and accomplishments that make you proud. But, if those bullets aren’t necessary for the job, hiring managers and recruiters might read your resume and think you’re awesome, but they won’t know why they should interview you for the job opening they’re looking to fill.

Want better advice? Make sure your bullets are relevant and results-oriented. If you’re not sure if you have the wrong results on your resume, take a moment to read a job description for one of your desired roles. Then, read your resume to see if it speaks to the specific relevant needs of that type of role. If it doesn’t, then you’ll know where to start to land more job interviews.

 

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Question: Want the ‘the best/current articles/blogs on the web’ on Job Search, Resume, Advancing/Changing your Career, or simply Managing People?

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, LLc (FSC) is celebrating over 30 years in the delivery of corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 of our corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, UK, & Mexico!  

We here at FSC want to thank each of corporate partners in the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment !

 

Article continued …

You’re not telling the full story.

A few signs you might be making this mistake: you leave things off your resume because it was a team effort and you don’t want to appear as though you’re taking credit for it, you don’t include relevant skills because it wasn’t a part of your official job title, or you don’t mention certain accomplishments because it only happened a couple of times.

While you might mean well by leaving these things off your resume, underselling yourself and not telling the full story makes recruiters and hiring managers assume you don’t have the experience needed for the roles you want. The good news is that, as a career coach, I know first-hand that a few changes can make a huge difference.

To start, sift through your resume and, for each bullet, ask yourself: “What’s the story behind this?” If the story behind the bullet is more compelling than the actual bullet, update the bullet to illustrate the true story by adding relevant details to showcase your expertise.

Your resume is full of distractions.

No, this isn’t about the format of your resume. Sure, the wrong format can be distracting, but there’s another element that’s not talked about enough that can distract from your expertise. Most job seekers don’t notice it because when you’re constantly working on your resume, it can be hard to see this mistake. But, the distraction is jargon.

Jargon, in terms of your resume, is any word, accomplishment, or result that would be difficult for others outside of your company or industry to understand. Jargon is a distraction because, even if your resume sounds great, it’ll leave recruiters and hiring managers thinking you’re better off staying where you are – even when you know you have the necessary experience to do the job.

To catch and remove jargon, pull up a few job descriptions of your ideal role and study the language they use to describe the responsibilities and qualifications for the position. Next, read your resume to see if you describe your experience the same way. Then, remove any terms that don’t align with the role you’re pursuing next.

If you’re guilty of any of these resume mistakes, then that’s good news! That means there’s still things you can do to improve your job search. If you’re willing to tackle these three resume mistakes, you’ll be in a much better shape to land more interviews for jobs you’ll love.

Forbes.com Author: Adunola Adeshola coaches high-achievers on how to take their careers to the next level. She is the author of the guide How to Go From Zero Interviews to Dream Job Offers.

Forbes.com | June 20, 2022

#BestofFSCBlog : Over 5K Reads! Career Experts Offer Advice For People Who Are Worried About Layoffs. Tons of Expert Links/Articles. A MUst REad for ALL!

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There was a huge pent-up demand for workers once the economy reopened, along with a surge in spending as people left their homes to dine out, shop in stores, attend events and travel.

An influx of companies is announcing layoffs and downsizing. The rationale for the decisions is due, in part, to economic and geopolitical events.

 

The stock market boomed and everything looked rosy. Rising inflation, supply chain disruptions, the cost of everything increasing and threats of an escalation in the Russia and Ukraine war have struck fear in the hearts of corporate executives.

They started to think that perhaps they were too exuberant in their hiring and now feel the need to tap on the breaks, hold off on hiring and consider some layoffs to conserve capital.

This may all turn around soon for the better. However, if there are more layoffs and job freezes, here’s some advice from career experts on what people can do to be prepared for quickly engaging in a job search.

 

Great Tips to prepare for Job Layoff or Transition:

  • Immediately begin to prepare.

  • Know your transferable skills and your unique, differential advantage. Only here do you find true job security.

  • Update your résumé with quantifiable, measurable benefits accomplished in the past 18 months.

  • Refresh your LinkedIn profile capturing all of your upskilling, certificates and accomplishments. Make sure it’s complete and robust.

  • Join LinkedIn groups and participate.

  • Network. Network. Network.

I was recently told of a company president who bragged that 60% of their workforce were now contractors. This [was] after shrinking the workforce by thousands over time. He then went on to boast about the significant amount of healthcare dollars, benefits and other company savings.

His remaining employees now live in fear daily because of their new rolling layoff policy. At any time on any day, HR can show up at your cube, escort you to a conference room and let you go. No warning, personal improvement plan or feedback and little recourse.

We will all lose our jobs at some point in our careers……….. Bottom Line: Always Be Prepared.

Sweta Regmi, CEO And Career Consultant, Teachndo

This is how it starts. First, there will be a freeze, then a salary-raise freeze during a performance review, then no yearly bonus, then eventually layoffs. I have been there.

Some companies will do [temporary] layoffs, should you wait? This is the time to lay off people who are not part of the tribe. Management issues, those who are change-resistant and those who speak up will be targeted. If you are paid a high salary, you are an easy target too.

Listen to water-cooler talks. Rumor mills might be true. There may be constructive dismissal. Do not sign any new job description because it will forfeit the previous responsibilities.

Proximity bias is real [and] face time is in dire need. Taking on extra tasks is a strategy to stick around, but be mindful of work-life balance. Anyone can go from office pet to threat. Keep an eye out!

Start reactivating relationships with people who left. Transfer all your reviews and documents to personal emails, including the job offer you have signed, if severance is not paid properly. Lawyers need to see job offers.

 

Like this Article?  Share It!    You now can easily enjoy/follow/share Today our Award-Winning Articles/Blogs with Now Over 2.5 Million Growing Participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-g-laughter-b46389198/

Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

Best Daily Choice: Follow the Best of FSC Career Articles/Blogs @

https://twitter.com/search?q=bestoffscblog&src=typeahead_click

Question: Want the ‘the best/current articles/blogs on the web’ on Job Search, Resume, Advancing/Changing your Career, or simply Managing People?

Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & Type(#Jobsearch, #Resume, or #Networking) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, LLc (FSC) is celebrating over 30 years in the delivery of corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 of our corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, UK, & Mexico!  

We here at FSC want to thank each of corporate partners in the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment !

 

Article continued …

Erica Reckamp, Executive Résumé Writer And Job Search Consultant, Job Search Like A Pro

We’re headed for leaner staff in Q3 and Q4.

 

  • I’ve already seen rumblings in the C-suite and the inevitable fallout after a favored leader exits.
  • Recession is likely on the horizon, as the cycle of requests for wage increases, subsequent price increases and inflation needs to stop somewhere.
  • Companies unable to hire shift funding to automation over payroll.

 

It’s happening.

What can professionals do?

  • Up the visibility of your contributions (self-advocate, show up, chip in).
  • Build skills through online credentialing platforms or free coursework.
  • Strengthen your career collateral (résumé, LinkedIn, profile, bios, letters).
  • Consider a content strategy or social proof (LinkedIn, conferences, publishing, etc.)
  • Engage with your network! Start spreading some goodwill, as it will be needed whether a layoff hits you or someone else in your network

 

Virginia Franco, Executive Storyteller, LinkedIn And Résumé Writer, Cofounder, Job Search Journey

I’m starting to see signs that the job-a-palooza party might be coming to an end. Now’s the time to get your career marketing collateral together, shore up your network and make sure you have closed the skills gap for any roles of interest should you be worried your job is at risk.

Ed Han, Senior Recruiter, Cenlar FSB

I suspect that when such high-profile employers, like Meta, Amazon, and Uber, institute freezes, even employers who are feeling confident start to wonder if those shops know something they don’t and produce a ripple effect.

But even if so, this doesn’t mean that no employer is hiring. Even in a down market, someone is making money, after all. And this goes to the importance of job seekers building a target list of preferred employers. Go after what you want, instead of simply spraying and praying.

Marti Konstant, Keynote Speaker And Author, Activate Your Agile Career: How Responding To Change Will Inspire Your Life’s Work

There is another underlying trend that impacts the numbers. The alternative workforce, which includes freelancers, gig workers, contract and consultants, is now between 40% and 50%. This enables companies to still stay current and relevant, yet have the best available talent.

Adrienne Tom, Executive Résumé Writer And Job Search Strategist, Career Impressions

Unfortunately, what goes up almost always comes down. Now is the time to get ready. Don’t wait for the layoffs or cutbacks to be announced before putting a plan in place and getting your career tools prepared.

I don’t recommend moving or changing jobs if you like where you are, but be ready for the possibility that you may have to execute a search suddenly. It’s wise to always be ready—and always have a career management plan in place—but even more so if you are hearing rumors or feel uncertain in your current company.

David Lee, Career Coach, Heart At Work-Career Counseling And Outplacement

This upcoming shift is a great reminder of why it’s so important to ‘dig your well before you’re thirsty,’ to quote the Harvey Mackay book from around the time of the dot-com bust, and connecting with your network and seeing how you can be helpful to others versus only reaching out when you need something from them.

Rebecca Bosl, Career Coach And Executive Résumé Writer, Dream Life Team

The ‘music is still going’ and use this time to do all the things you need to do to land a job fast now. Build your network [and] refine your career marketing materials.

If you are sitting on the sidelines, get back in the game now before the hiring freezes and layoffs start.

Sonal Bahl, Founder And Career Strategist, SuperCharge

Push the digits. Go through your address book and send around 20 to 30 emails per day to people that include friends, ex-colleagues, former headhunters you worked with, parents you chat with at the morning school drop off…basically anyone who knows your first name and can recognize your face in a police line. And use these exact words (adapt for style):

Hi [Insert Recipient’s Name],

I hope all is well! Not sure if you know, my employer [Company Name] is going through a massive reorganization, and unfortunately my position, along with hundreds of others, is likely being made redundant. So, I’ve recently started to look for a new challenge in the [your desired field] field and am reaching out to you to ask for your help with any leads or contacts. I am looking for a [your desired level and role] position in or near [Desired Location]. I am also open to an in-house opportunity for the right company and role. If you know of any job opportunities or leads that you might be able to share with me, please send them my way, it would really mean a lot to me. Below, I have included a list of my dream companies. I have also attached my résumé for your reference, and feel free to pass it along. Thanks in advance for your help! I hope you all are doing well and hope to catch up with you soon. Take care!

Warm regards,

[Insert Your Name]

Those who care will respond immediately, and you’ll also find out who your real friends are! A one-liner follow-up from those you don’t hear back from would help too. Now, if you have dug your well before you’re thirsty, there will be plenty of fresh drinking water (opportunities) in your well (network). If you haven’t, outreach, outreach, outreach. No panic, just taking action.

Forbes.com Author:  Jack Kelly Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website or some of my other work here.

Forbes.com | May 12, 2022

 

 

#BestofFSCBlog : Over 9K Reads! The Secret to Getting a Better Job After 50. Even in a Hot Hiring Market, it is Tough for Workers Over 50 to stay Competitive in Workplaces that often Value Youth over Experience.

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Even in a hot hiring market, it is tough for workers over 50 to stay competitive in workplaces that often value youth over experience.

The pandemic has been especially hard on older employees seeking to reclaim jobs lost in the early days of lockdowns. Many say they fear that the workplace upheaval brought on by Covid-19 has reinforced some bosses’ belief that professionals in their 50s and beyond are less inclined to return to offices or adapt to new ways of working.

Workers over 50 haven’t joined the jobs recovery to the same degree as younger peers, not counting the millions who retired early during the past two years. In January, nearly one-third of job seekers age 55 and older were part of the long-term unemployed, according to federal data, compared with 21.8% of those between 16 and 54.

It is perhaps little surprise that in the AARP’s most recent survey, 78% of workers between 40 and 65 said they had seen age discrimination in 2020, the highest share since the advocacy group began tracking the question in 2003.

Professionals who have kept careers progressing well into their fourth and fifth working decades say they have developed a few strategies.

Tackle age discrimination head on

Rule No. 1, they say: Confront the reality of age discrimination head on instead of avoiding it. Some say they are doing so by appearing youthful—both in person, for hiring managers and colleagues, and in writing, to the bots that screen résumés. Others are pitching themselves as indispensable mentors to younger colleagues.

“You have to never give up,” said Jennifer Kay Rouse, who at 61 started a new job this month as a customer-success manager after losing her sales-account-manager position in a corporate acquisition last year.

Ageism persists as one of the most insidious forms of on-the-job discrimination, according to academic research and employment experts. In a 2021 study, researchers at New York and Stanford universities found people who opposed racism and sexism at work were still likely to harbor prejudices against older employees and to believe such workers should step aside for younger colleagues.

Meanwhile, many job postings appear to target younger job seekers with terms such as “digital native” or “recent grad,” and employers focus recruiting efforts on rising talent rather than on proven veterans.

This month, unsealed court documents in an age-discrimination case cited emails in which an executive at International Business Machines Corp. referred to older workers as “dinobabies” and a plan to make them an “extinct species.” An IBM spokesman said “some language in emails between former IBM executives that has been reported is not consistent with the respect IBM has for its employees and as the facts clearly show, it does not reflect company practices or policies.”

 

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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We here at FSC want to thank each of corporate partners in the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment !

 

Article continued …

Punch up your résumé

Ms. Rouse of Waukesha, Wis., says that asking a job interviewer for constructive advice and punching up her résumé with language such as “solid reputation” and “high performer” helped her land her new job at an industrial automation company.

Ms. Rouse maintains a youthful look by staying fit and wearing what she described as an “edgy” haircut with hair on the back and side shaved underneath the top layer. After landing several interviews but not the jobs, she asked an interviewer to level with her “to satisfy my curiosity as to whether it is about age,” she said.

The interviewer didn’t address her age directly but suggested her lengthy experience might make some interviewers assume she had come in with a know-it-all attitude. So she tweaked her approach, emphasizing in interviews that she was a team player. And she acknowledged being older to make the point that she could mentor younger colleagues and was open to being mentored by them, too.

A résumé writer she found on LinkedIn for $125 also helped refresh hers with a more modern format and buzzy phrases, such as “exceptional customer relationships,” which she said yielded more bites from employers. Ms. Rouse now earns more in her new job than she did in her previous role.

“I love business, and I love strategizing to give customers the best outcomes,” she said. “I wasn’t ready to give all of that up.”

Evade the job applicant-screening bots

Employers can’t legally reject applicants based on their age, but ageism can arise subtly in job postings and the algorithms that screen them. Applicant-screening software can potentially filter out older workers whose résumés show lengthy employment gaps. Other details can also date candidates, such as WordPerfect proficiency or an AOL email account, career coaches and recruiters say.

Laid off in 2018 from a middle-management role in delivery and logistics at the company where he had worked for 17 years, 56-year-old Dale Johnston said he was prepared for the algorithms that would likely screen his résumé. Instead of “17 years,” for instance, he wrote “over 10 years.”

“I had to be very conscious about what I put in and time frames to get past the bots and AI,” said Mr. Johnston, who lives in Bellingham, Wash. “I wasn’t lying. I just wasn’t disclosing the full age.”

He also kept his hair closely cropped while interviewing, because it looks more gray when it’s longer, he said. After landing a job as an analyst with a municipality in 2019, then losing it to cost-cutting a year later, he used the same tactics to apply for a job as an operations manager for a logistics-transportation company, where he works today.

Ginny Cheng, a San Francisco career coach and recruiter, advises clients that it is better to delete early years of work experience from your résumé if they mostly date you.

“If your total work experience is over 25 years but your last 15 is most relevant to the new opportunities you are seeking, you can focus on the newer timeline,” she said.

The key, employment experts say, is putting the focus on your talents, not your age. “Employers value wisdom, so it’s important to emphasize what you’ve learned and what you’re good at, not the amount of time you spent in the labor force,” said Richard W. Johnson, director of the program on retirement policy at the Urban Institute.

Harry Moseley retired at 62 from his job as chief information officer at KPMG US in early 2018 but jumped back into the workforce a couple months later by repositioning himself as a mentor.

During what would be a brief retirement, he had let his network know he remained open to new ventures and helping coach at another company. A friend soon approached him with an opportunity as global chief information officer at Zoom Video Communications Inc. Mr. Moseley hadn’t thought he wanted to return to a full-time role, but the position excited him.

“It could be a lot of fun, and I felt like I could help,” he said.

At Zoom since March 2018 and working mostly from the New York area, where he lives, the now 66-year-old Mr. Moseley said he makes a point of not appearing resistant to change. “You kind of have to say, ‘OK, well, that’s how I used to do things,’ and you have to have an open mind and look at things in a different way,” he said.

At the same time, he uses his experience to guide colleagues. “I am who I am. Take me for who I am,” he said.

 

WSJ.com | February 22, 2022 | WSJ.com Author:  Ray A. Smith

#JobSearch : How To Help Your New Grad Land A Job. Got Kids? MUst REad!

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Exasperated Baby Boomer Patricia called about her college student graduating in a month. She said, “My daughter Emily has refused my help or the assistance of my friend who is in HR. When I ask her why, she tells me she doesn’t want to use anybody, and wants to do this all on her own. She says, ‘I can do this.’ But 55 applications later, she hasn’t had one interview. What can I do to help get her career launched?”

Patricia knows that networking is vital for a successful job hunt. But Emily does not yet have that perspective, which is illustrated by her not wanting help from family or even a friend in the HR field. She believes she needs no help to land her first job. Unfortunately, many college students think this way. Most students and recent graduates hate to network, so it should be impressed upon them that this is a step in the job hunting process that should not be passed over.

Here are some important points about networking to stress to your student. Many jobs are found through networking: talking to people, friends, family, and other college students—especially if you have friends who have already graduated and are working. Networking is not using people; it’s just talking to others to get information about the company and available job opportunities. It also gives you a leg up if a friend passes your resume on to their employer. Today, many companies give a financial reward to employees if their referrals are hired.

 

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We here at FSC want to thank each of corporate partners in the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment !

Article continued …

Offer Resume Help

Many college students have a very poor resume. They don’t know how to write it, as they likely haven’t created one before. They will sometimes ask friends for copies of theirs, as Emily did, or will get a sample from a college professor. These samples are typically not designed for marketing that student in the best possible light. A parent can offer resume help, and often the student will accept it.

First, read about resumes for new graduates. Try to find a few in the same major as your student. Don’t offer to write it for them but ask if you can make some recommendations on how to improve it. Offer some specific ideas. For example, look closely at their work experience and their job descriptions. They often need boosting. Usually, the student missed some critical skill or accomplishment you can suggest they add. If they had an internship, be sure they capture all aspects relevant to the job they seek.

Under education, the student will list their degree and dean’s list or GPA. Yet, they can aid their success by listing relevant coursework based on the job they seek. These contain many great keywords that will help their resume get noticed by an employer’s applicant tracking system and demonstrate to an employer that they have a solid foundation to bring to the new job. For example, my career counseling client, Eric, wanted a job as a financial analyst. He had been unable to get an internship, so adding his college coursework was essential. Under the education section, Eric noted the relevant classes, which were the key to landing his first job.

Here’s what his entire education section looked like.

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Arts, Economics, Minor-Finance, University of Texas, Major GPA: 3.5, Graduation: May 2021

Coursework: Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Statistics, Econometrics, Business Finance, Economic Consulting, Money/Credit Banking, International Trade – Finance, Accounting, Business Law, Calculus

Reviewing your son or daughter’s transcript will give you all the necessary information to add the relevant coursework to the resume. Advise them to just list the classes that support the career area the student wants to land a job in.

Advice About Developing A LinkedIn Profile

Employers are searching LinkedIn every day to find talent. Every new graduate, or someone about to graduate, should have a LinkedIn profile. It should be as complete as possible: the headline noting he or she is a recent graduate and in what major, and the job titles the student is interested in. Colleges and universities don’t always teach students how to prepare a LinkedIn profile. Tell your student that recruiters are on LinkedIn every single day, but they must be able to find them. Recruiters actively reach out about job opportunities they want to interest them in. Offer clear directions on how to create and improve their profile.

Cover how their photo should appear. A professional picture is not necessary. They can use their phone to take the photo. It’s not a snapshot, where they cut themselves out of a family picture or social event. It is not the picture they use on Instagram. Point out that an appropriate photo is a headshot where they are smiling and look warm and engaging. They want a plain background and good lighting. Outside pictures or one taken with natural light inside are best. For more photo tips and what to wear, read the Forbes article “LinkedIn Photo Tips To Look Your Best.”

 

Forbes.com| April 19, 2022

#JobSearch : 5 Resume/CV Trends To Forget In 2022. In this article, I’m going to Go Over 5 of the Most Common Trends that you Should Abandon. GReat REad!

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If you want a CV that consistently lands interviews, it’s best to keep things simple, professional, and easy to read.

Whether it’s overusing cliché buzzwords, wasting space or not highlighting your professional achievements, there are several dated CV fads that might currently be impacting the success of your job applications. If you’re regularly not getting invited to interview, your CV might be impeding your professional goals.

In this article, I’m going to go over 5 of the most common trends that you should abandon when writing your CV, and how to write a bold, engaging CV that secures an interview.

Wacky designs

When it comes to your CV, a simple design will always be more professional and effective than something unconventional. You might hear suggestions about designing a ‘creative’ CV to catch the attention of the recruiter, but an “eye-catching” design won’t do anything to help your candidacy. Your potential employer only cares about one thing: your ability to do the job well.

Ultimately, It’s your work experience and professional achievements that will determine whether you land an interview or not, so making this information simple to find and easy to read is key. A complicated CV design can actually work against you by making your accomplishments difficult to locate on the page.

Keep your CV design simple, with a clean font, a conventional lay-out with clearly defined sections, and key information listed in easy-to-read bullet points. If you’re going to use design, use it to highlight your skills and achievements.

While you might want to demonstrate a long history of stable employment, you don’t need to include every job you’ve ever done when writing your CV. Recruiters mostly care about your last 3 years of employment, so focusing on these roles is key, especially your achievements within them.

If you have a career history going back many years, you can still include older roles, but just in short summary format. Make sure that they do not take up more space than your recent employment, and only include information that is relevant to your target jobs.

As a general rule of thumb, any jobs from over 10 years ago should be left off your CV.

 

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We here at FSC want to thank each of corporate partners in the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment !

Article continued …

Clichés and buzz words

When it comes to writing your CV, the rule is simple: show, don’t tell. Writing that you’re a “team player” or “always give 110%” isn’t going to give a recruiter any concrete evidence about your skills. In Buzzwords are just fluff – they take up space while adding nothing of value.

Besides being ineffective, some recruiters will even roll their eyes when they come across a CV full of overused clichés and buzzwords. So, rather than claiming that you’re a “passionate, hard-working and creative employee”, demonstrate these qualities by giving examples of your professional achievements.

If you want to demonstrate that you’re a “team player” or “results driven” you should do so by listing achievements that highlight these qualities.

Only listing responsibilities

Your CV isn’t just about listing your former roles and responsibilities; it’s also about proving your worth to a potential employer. While a strong job history does prove a certain level of competence in your field, it’s your achievements that will help you stand out from competing candidates.

When writing out your responsibilities for your former or current job, you should add some examples of the personal successes you enjoyed while in the role. Whether it was landing a key client or optimising your former company’s workflow, this information will prove to the employer that you are capable of bringing real value to their organisation.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that achievements can make or break the competitiveness of your CV. Between two equally qualified candidates with a similar job history and education, it’s the achievements that are going to be the difference between who gets the interview and who gets the polite rejection.

Hobbies and interests section

Space on your CV is limited, so it’s essential that you use it wisely to communicate your suitability for the specific role. Having a “hobbies and interests” section is a waste of space on your CV, unless your hobbies are somehow linked to your professional life.

Instead of adding a hobbies and interests section to tell employers that you “watch TV and socialise with friends”, use the extra space to beef up the parts of your CV that are the most interesting to a potential employer.

When you’re adding any information or work experience to your CV, it’s always helpful to ask yourself the following question: “What does the recruiter learn about me from this?” If you believe that the information you’re sharing will enhance your suitability for the role (in the eyes of the recruiter) you can include it. If not, leave it out.

If you want to make a great impression on your CV, forget “trends” and stick to classic CV formatting.

Winning CVs are ones that demonstrate achievements and the value of the candidate as an employee, so don’t be afraid to brag about your professional success. Keep your design simple, keep your work experience recent, and when it comes to your skills, remember to show, not tell.

Forbes.com – April 14, 2021 = Andrew Fennell

#BestofFSCBlog : Must REad! Job Hunters Take A Stand- We’re Not Writing Cover Letters. Today’s approach? Contacting employees at companies you want to work at over LinkedIn. Thoughts??

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To Whom It May Concern: Job applicants are putting a hard stop to those dreaded cover letters.

Many hiring managers say a sharp cover letter remains one of the best ways to make the case for why you are the right person for the job. Yet many job seekers say the self-promoting exercise is too torturous and time-consuming to be worth the effort for a less-than-dream role. It’s also just plain insulting, they argue, since it’s often an algorithm, not a human, that screens and sorts the applications.

Now, as employers struggle to fill millions of openings, job seekers are using their leverage to say no to what, until recently, was a must for landing a decent position.

“People are fundamentally fed up with having to do so much to get a job,” said Gianni LaTange, a 27-year-old in New York who works in tech. Ms. LaTange calls cover letters an antiquated hiring practice and no longer applies to jobs that require them.

To get her current role, she instead contacted employees at companies she wanted to work at over LinkedIn. One employee, after a brief conversation, connected her with a recruiter, and she ultimately got an offer without writing a letter, she said.

Some job seekers say writing cover letters is a job itself, and one that yields little reward for the effort. Before Devin Miller’s most recent job, he wrote about 10 cover letters to companies he wanted to work for. Each was different, and he wanted to signal that he knew what the work would entail, he said. He heard back from none. To get his current role, he responded to a recruiter who had reached out to him and asked just for a résumé, the 33-year-old Mr. Miller said.

Mr. Miller briefly looked for a new information-technology job in November because he was moving to Boston. This time, though, he said he applied only for openings that didn’t require a cover letter—and got several interviews and an offer.

“It just doesn’t align with my or my peers’ current interests in how they want to proceed with their career,” said Mr. Miller, who, in the end, opted to stay with his existing team and work remotely.

Behind all of the cover-letter hate lurks a major disconnect between job seekers and the employers trying to hire them. A recent Resume Lab survey of 200 hiring managers and recruiters found 83% said cover letters were important to deciding whom to hire, especially when it came to understanding why the applicant wanted the job or explaining a career switch or break. Nearly three-quarters said they expected a cover letter even if it wasn’t explicitly asked for.

 

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We here at FSC want to thank each of corporate partners in the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment !

Article continued …

If you don’t take the time to explain yourself, they’re not going to consider you,” said Jill Tipograph, co-founder of Early Stage Careers, a career-coaching company for college students and 20-somethings. Early-career applicants especially need cover letters to differentiate themselves, she said. It’s about “laying out the facts and the foundation of what you’re bringing to the table,” she said.

Yet only 38% of candidates attach cover letters to their applications even when it is requested, according to ResumeLab, which provides advice and online templates for building résumés and cover letters.

Kevin Grossman, president of the Talent Board, a nonprofit hiring and recruiting research group, said that many of the employers his organization works with no longer look at cover letters, in part because of automated application-screening tools. The exception, he said, is when hiring volume is smaller and recruiters have the time.

Another reason cover letters often fail to impress: “Most of them are extremely generic,” said Keith Wolf, managing director of recruiting firm Murray Resources, who advises job seekers to tailor them to the specific job opening.

Spending even a few minutes dashing off an enthusiastic message can reveal a person’s strengths and motivation in ways a résumé often can’t, said Sherrod DeGrippo, a vice president at a security-software company whose division hires about 10 employees each quarter.

“Don’t agonize over it—it’s not a make-or-break,” she said. “It’s a help, it’s a bonus.”

Hadassah Williams, 30, who works in administration, has used a similar strategy. She started writing more casual notes instead of formal letters when a job listing indicates cover letters—which she hates writing—are optional. They take about 40 minutes to write and can be customized to the role she is applying for, she said.

Julie Fugett’s views on cover letters have evolved over her career. As a chief information security officer in higher education, she used them to evaluate candidates’ attention to detail and communication skills.

But when she recently applied for a vice president role at a cybersecurity firm, Ms. Fugett decided not to submit one. She had seen tech-industry pushback to the practice on social media, and she didn’t want to appear out of touch.

She got the job—and was delighted she could skip the cover letter. She has since wondered whether cover letters can invite bias against talented candidates who, say, speak English as a second language.

“I have yet to meet a single person, including myself, that enjoys writing a cover letter,” Ms. Fugett said. “I’ve still written plenty of them, but it’s always a little painful.”

 

WSJ.com | March 26. 2022 |  Lindsay Ellis

#JobSearch : Crafting a “No Degree” Resume—Focus on Value, Metrics, Branding. No College Degree, No Problem! Great REad!

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A common concern I hear from clients is, “I don’t have a degree.”

May executive job seekers got started on a formal education, then got sidetracked and never finished. It’s more common than you think. Or many just never went the route of going to college. They headed straight into the workforce after high school and worked their way up the ladder. Both scenarios are VERY common.

We can argue the merits of a formal education versus clawing your way to the top through grit and hard work. But regardless of how you achieved your corporate success, when it comes to writing a resume for a new position, those without a college degree can find it a stumbling block and a challenge to know how to present themselves professionally without it.

What is important, regardless of education, is having a strategy to present your message. 

Here are a few things to consider:

💼 𝙁𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙚.

What departments have you built? How many people did you manage? What did you do to help the company grow? How did your contribution get them to the next level?

Also: What kind of a leader are you? What is the feedback you receive from your boss AND your team? How your team looks to you says a lot. Don’t be afraid to gather up testimonials from people who worked for you. If you built out an exceptional team, you could say something like:

“Led efforts to identify, secure, engage, and retain top-tier talent and cultivated a diversified entrepreneurial team to deliver optimal results; managed succession planning, attaining a 2% annual turnover rate across 102 employees.”

This bullet shows how this client built, grew, and led a team, ending up with very little turnover. He established a culture within the team that made it a place where people wanted to work–and they thrived.

 

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, LLc (FSC) is celebrating over 30 years in the delivery of corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 of our corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, UK, & Mexico!  

We here at FSC want to thank each of corporate partners in the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment !

 

Article continued …

💼 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙤𝙛𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙭.

When you rose through the ranks, you increased revenue, your sales numbers skyrocketed, etc. Don’t be afraid to use numbers if you have them. Certain roles (like sales) usually end up with percentages or dollars. Don’t worry about how much or how little. Percentages and sales show your effort and growth. Like this:

“Developed a model to optimize short stay options across the residential portfolio to support a $200M regional capital project; negotiated the rental of 30 furnished apartments, expanded the model to 56 units, achieved 100% occupancy for 5 years, and subsequently transitioned the units to university housing with a 98% annual occupancy rate.”

This bullet is loaded with numbers, proves his success, and also grabs the eye. Numbers and percentages stand out, so add them where you can.

💼 𝙃𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙.

What are you known for? What do people go to you for? What do you specialize in? This is a very common struggle job seekers struggle with, no matter their level. And often, it comes slowly, through time and experience.

For example, when I started writing resumes, I was writing every type of resume I could get my hands on, basically to gather experience. But as time went on, I noticed more and more finance and tech clients started finding me. This built my brand as a finance and tech writer.

Having a consistent brand in these fields is what eventually led to landing the Wall Street Journal contract as their resume writing partner. They heard about me and my team and what we specialized in (at that time), and my brand is what got their attention.

Once you have an idea of what you are known for, that is something you want to lead with on your resume. Make sure it stands out and is front and center. Don’t make hiring managers or recruiters look for it, because they won’t.

💼 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝘿𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙨!

Are you listing your credentials or professional development? These all count in your skills section. Things like:

– Advanced training courses?
– Certifications?
– Did you write anything that became published in your area? White papers? Blog posts?
– What about presentations? Did you speak on your topic? Offer expertise in a podcast or interview?
– Lastly, any awards? If yes, list them.

There are plenty of ways to distract the reader from your lack of formal education and instead get the reader or hiring manager excited about your accomplishments and what you can bring to the role.

While college degrees are required for certain roles, many companies are simply looking for the best candidate for the job.

FSC Career Blog Author:  Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

FSC Career Blog | February 25, 2022

#JobSearch :How To Use Keywords To Strengthen Your Personal Brand. Recruitment is Changing as Employers Continue to Scramble for Employees. Great REad!

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Recruitment is changing as employers continue to scramble for employees, in-person networking is still a thing of the past, and in-person interaction is just now slowly making a comeback. Recruiting trends are focusing on the candidate experience while streamlining the hiring process.

What does that mean for job hunters? 

Used by the majority of the Fortune 500, a key 2022 trend is the increased reliance and use of more advanced applicant tracking systems (ATS). ATS filters resumes and cover letters based on keywords, decreasing the time-to-hire by as reported by 86% of recruiters, and this improves the bottom line. But this is not without consequence to job seekers.

Keywords are vital in today’s job search – not only in your resume and cover letter but across your social platforms and networking sites. Keywords help increase your visibility and improve your chances of landing your dream job. Today, you need a personal SEO strategy.

According to Job Hunt, there are three areas where to focus your keywords: personal, professional goals, and work history.

Personal Keywords:

Your personal keywords include your name, target location, languages you speak, and education. Your name needs to match on all your social platforms (especially LinkedIn) and resume. Use your full name online unless you use an abbreviated name on your resume and all other printed materials you use such as business cards. Also, include your full name as your signature on email.

Also make sure you use the English version of languages you speak: ie. “Spanish,” not “español,” if your profile is written in English. This ensures the proper keyword would be discovered by recruiters.

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Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, LLc (FSC) is celebrating over 30 years in the delivery of corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 of our corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, UK, & Mexico!  

We here at FSC want to thank each of corporate partners in the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment !

 

Article continued …

Professional Goals Keywords:

Choose keywords for the position you want. Include industry keywords as well. Here’s where a few hours exploring job posting will pay off. What words are recurring for the positions you want? Research industry keywords to include.

Work History Keywords:

Most of your keywords will be used here. Again, make sure you’ve done your research and know what keywords employers are using. You need to be truthful when using keywords. The trick is using the words employers use to describe work you do.

If the company you work for uses puns for job titles like Marketing Guru, change that to read Marketing Manager – if the title matches what you actually do. Where you have a lot of liberty is hard and soft skills. There are a lot of ways to say you have rock-solid communication skills including problem solving, confident speaking ability, active listening, and collaboration to name a few.

Use enough keywords when describing your experience, skills, certifications, and job-specific tools and techniques without overstuffing. Your LinkedIn profile, resume, and cover letter need to be readable.

Think like a recruiter. If you submitted a cover letter and resume, the recruiter is definitely going to search your LinkedIn profile. But recruiters also search LinkedIn for viable clients even when they haven’t received a resume. In fact, 95% of recruiters say they search LinkedIn to find candidates for open positions. LinkedIn reports that 70% of the global workforce is made up of passive talent not actively job hunting.

Your keywords need to be an exact match. Job Hunt uses the example of a job description requiring “Microsoft Word” experience. If your resume states “highly skilled with Microsoft Office products” it will not meet the search criteria. You may be well versed in Microsoft Office but if the majority of job postings are only asking for Microsoft Word, you need to include Microsoft Word.

How do you apply keywords to your other social channels? Use your full name or the variation of your name that appears on LinkedIn and your resume. On Facebook you can add keywords to the “about” section of your profile. Instagram allows a short description below your name and title. The same is true for Twitter.

Consistency matters. Your resume and social profiles should paint a picture of who you are, what you do, and where you want to go. Spending time quing into keywords will pay off in spades.

 

Forbes.com – February 11, 2022 – Ashley Stahl