Statistics have shown that many states have lost thousands of jobs over the past four years, leaving many workers with years of experience out of a job for the first time in decades. Fortunately, rebounds in the stock market and government work assistance programs have allowed established companies and new businesses to begin hiring on new employees.
Once a job posting appears online or in a newspaper, these potential employers are flooded with applications. While competition is tight for open positions, there are a few things job candidates can do to make employers see that they are the one who is best fit for the job:
Since a candidate’s resume basically serves as their spokesperson in writing, having an effective resume should be the top priority in today’s job market. The resume of a highly experienced candidate might read like a timeline of accomplishments, but in the reality that employers face today, only recent work experience and recognitions within the last ten years should be listed on a resume. Also, make sure to only list job responsibilities and skills that are highly related to the job being applied for. Resume need to be filled with the keywords human resource managers are looking for, which means that each resume should be tailored to each specific job posting.
These tips may result in resume being significantly pared down, but employers are looking for specific skills when they read resume and candidates do not want to run the risk of appearing overqualified. Previous and less than relevant work experience can be talked about during an interview and gives the candidate a deeper perspective when answering interview questions.
It is important to have a keyword rich resume, in order to make it past the gatekeepers, but it is equally important to be prepared for interviews. Job interviews give applicants the opportunity to essentially talk themselves into a job, so it is immensely important to review and practice talking points.
Be specific and score the points you need to relating to relevant work examples and other information that employers need to hear. Selling yourself is important when many different applicants are being interviewed, so before each interview, think of at least three reasons why you should be hired over another candidate, citing specific examples with confidence and humility.
Good luck and stay positive.
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