Getting Hired Now is Very Different

Than getting hired in 2008

tech2hero_master9
Tech2Bs
Getting Hired, The Perfect Candidate Apr 15, 2017 0

 

According to LinkedIn, 87 percent of passive and active candidates are open to new jobs – mostly because they are looking for career advancement and growth.

In the last three years, I have had many clients come to me looking for new roles who have been with their current employer for 10 years or more. These clients are often baffled by how much the job market and recruiting itself have changed since they last when on the job search.

If you are a job seeker returning to the market after a long time away, here is what has changed since you last stopped in:

1. At Best, Your Resume Will Receive 30 Seconds’ Worth of Attention

What you spend hours agonizing over will be read in under a minute. Don’t panic. Soliciting endless feedback from colleagues and experts will not help you write the perfect resume. At some point, you have to stop writing and starting applying. See what happens. Your resume no longer has the power to make or break an offer.

2. Your Network is Crucial

While your resume isn’t the be-all and end-all, who you know is very important. The same LinkedIn report cited above found that 50 percent of candidates in the market are using word of mouth referrals to find new job opportunities. If you have been stuck in the office working 70 hours a week for the past five years and your professional network has dried up, it’s time to get out there and start shaking hands. It will pay dividends.

3. Social Media Is Not Perception, But Fact

Recruiters and hiring managers alike will dig into your social media profiles. LinkedIn is one of the top channels through which recruiters find passive talent. Ensure your online presence is polished. Years ago, this didn’t matter as much. Today, it is everything.

4. No One Cares Why You Lost Your Job in 2008

Thank goodness for that. Job gaps and long periods of unemployment during the Great Recession will no longer be held against you, so don’t get all tied up in knots over your history. We all know what happened years ago, and everyone gets a pass.

5. Being Employed for a Long Time Makes You Loyal

There is nothing finer to a recruiter than finding that hidden gem of a candidates who has been with their employer for 10 years or more. Rather than being deemed passé, you are considered loyal – a tough trait to find since 2008. Having a long tenure with one organization demonstrates you really are a team player and can get through both good times and bad with an organization.

6. You Can Dodge the Online Job Hunt 

Hate spending hours looking for opportunities and applying online only to be timed out by the applicant tracking system? Today, you can actually bypass the entire click/upload/send routine by networking your way into a company. Many interviews actually occur with the resume as an afterthought if you are referred to the company and position!

A version of this article originally appeared on LinkedIn.

Elizabeth Lions is an executive career coach. You can learn more at ElizabethLions.com.

Elizabeth Lions is the author of two books, “Recession Proof Yourself” and “I Quit! Working for You Isn’t Working For Me.” Her third book on leadership will arrive in 2016. Elizabeth is also a well-know radio personality on Plaid For Women, where she hosts a show called “Leadership Lessons From the Lioness.” Elizabeth has a private practice as an executive career coach where she helps executives in transition and with leadership development. A wise adviser, Elizabeth has been quoted in U.S. World News Report, AOL Jobs, Australian Finance, Silicon India, CBS Money Watch, Yahoo, The Ladders, and Dice. Before becoming an accomplished author, professional speaker, and coach, Elizabeth started her career as a headhunter on the West Coast. Elizabeth had the pleasure of working with the leaders of Microsoft, Wells Fargo, eBay, and Intel, to name a few. Today, Elizabeth can be found writing, coaching, and collaborating with the who’s who of corporate America. When she isn’t working, Elizabeth can be found traveling across state lines with her husband on their Harley-Davidson motorcycle or in the yoga studio twisting for hours on end. For more information about her philosophies, please visit www.elizbethlions.com

Related Blogs

Leave us a comment