The world of employment is not what it used to be. As well, certain classic job search tips no longer apply, according to Forbes magazine, which recently drew up a list of tips to discard.
To be a good job seeker of the day, here are recommendations and general advice not to follow.
The job search is full-time work.
Nothing could be more wrong! The most effective job seekers spend only one hour a day on it. It is estimated that it takes on average 20 minutes to find a job offer that matches your profile, 20 minutes to adapt your resume to the offer and 20 minutes to “network” with the key people that can lead to getting this job.
Professional leapfrogging is a detriment
Although employers expect you to stay with them for at least several consecutive months, these days few value a whole career with one company. Changing your job every 2 or 3 years will on the contrary be seen as proof of your ability to adapt and your resilience to change.
Don’t apply if you don’t quality 100%
Job offers are often written from a compilation of skills for an entire team, and few employers expect a single candidate to have them all. “You may even be considered overqualified if you can really meet all the requirements of a job posting,” says Jenn Lofgren, employment coach at Incito.
Your resume is your best tool
Since the arrival of LinkedIn, your online profile is often more important than your paper resume. Headhunters recruit massively on the web and your resume may not even be seen by your future employer.
Your resume should not be more than 2 pages
“As long as your resume contains the information that is targeted as best as possible based on the position you are applying for, the length doesn’t matter,” recounts Nicole K. Webb, of the NK Solutions group.
The resume consists of a list of jobs
Bulleted lists that flatly list your previous jobs will not take you very far. They show where you have worked, but not what you have done. “Write more about the skills developed on different projects, or tell about the impact your work had on the development of the companies where you worked,” advises Lisa Kaye McDonald, of Career Polish Inc.
A single version of the resume is enough
There was a time when a single version of your resume, as exhaustive as possible, assured you of having many hiring interviews. “That time is gone,” says Tonya Echols, of Thrive Coaching Solutions. “In large companies, the first analysis of your resume is done by artificial intelligence that looks for the main keywords. It’s therefore best to put the emphasis on the experiences and skills most useful to the position you are applying for.”
These days, all the jobs are online
While certainly useful, the job search on the web is not always miraculous. “The job seekers who are successful are those who have a multiple approach, using both the web and their personal networks, or who submit spontaneous applications to their favourite companies,” concludes Christine Mann, of the Mann Consulting firm.