Hit The Ground Running , Land Your Dream Job Faster.
The constantly evolving nature of social media, introduction of applicant tracking systems, enhanced use of mobile phones for recruitment, heightened awareness of apps, the rise of video recruitment and many more are all contributing to the changing landscape of the recruitment industry.
Now you can hit the ground running by taking advantage of the 10 prominent trends that can truly give you the edge!
1. The rise of social recruiting.
There is now more sophisticated use of social media to actively engage with potential candidates and determine fit than before. With social recruiting evolving to higher significance, recruiters are beginning to use social media in newer ways, including passive recruiting to identify top candidates.
This means, you as a job candidate will need to spend more quality and creative time to manage your digital footprint and make your profile searchable across all platforms.
2. The rise of mobile hiring.
With the influx of more millennials, it is only natural for mobile phone hiring and mobile apps to find greater acceptance. Both candidates and recruiters are finding that the power of mobile is allowing them to connect with each other, any time, any place, even on the go.
Your Android or Apple device can be a powerful tool to reach out and communicate with recruiters through traditional phone calls, emails, text messages and social media. Even recruiters are texting potential candidates and both find the process easier and more convenient for themselves and also consider it professional.
3. The rise of the part-time workforce.
Consultants, freelancers and part time workers unite. In an economy fraught with uncertainty and the recession still hovering over our heads, job seekers should keep an open mind about freelancing and temporary positions, while constantly working on opportunities to help them find a permanent job role down the road.
Although you may be longing for full-time positions, position yourself to find a suitable short term position or projects to help you keep your skills fresh, gain relevant industry experience and generate a healthy cash flow.
4. The rise of the referral.
With recruiters being flooded with more and more resumes each day, they simply don’t have time to consider each candidate. To shortlist their ideal fit, many recruiters admit that a majority of their candidates are found through referrals.
That’s why networking is more important than ever. Making connections with industry professionals should become a healthy habit. It’s also important to ask your connections for further referrals as it is a necessary part of today’s job search.
5. The rise of the keyword.
In 2016 more than ever, technology will play a big part in screening applicants, so it’s prudent to customize all communications with the relevant keywords gleaned from the job description or what’s current in your industry.
In other words, make sure you customize each resume based on the precise needs of the potential employer. While non-customized submissions that do not meet the criteria may get rejected, your customized resume and online profile will help you stand out – and demonstrate why you are the best fit for the role.
6. The rise of the industry thought leader.
Not long ago, recruiters would spend 20–30 seconds to review resumes. Now, according to more than one industry survey, six seconds is the maximum a candidate can hope to get. In other words, you have six seconds to demonstrate how you can be the expert who can solve an employer’s problems.
That’s why, it’s often smart to project yourself as an industry expert, by engaging in online communication about recent trends in your industry. Blogs are another way to attract recruiters. You can post valuable articles and also join online communities, to share valuable inputs and engage with other industry thought leaders.
7. The rise of LinkedIn.
LinkedIn has now become more robust with the capability to link PPTs through Slideshare (slideshare.net), project files, videos, portfolios, and other useful information. This helps you project a profile that is richer, deeper and more intimate than a resume by making multimedia presentations, projects, and videos more common elements of your LinkedIn profile.
8. The rise of Facebook.
Spend sometime surfing the net to read about the power of Facebook Graph Search and you can understand how to use this incredibly powerful platform in your job search. Today, employers scan Facebook profiles more closely and even a job seeker’s “likes” on Facebook can provide recruiters with an accurate snapshot of his or her personality. Make sure you adjust your privacy settings correctly, so you can manage the content that you do not wish to share with recruiters.
9. The rise of Twitter.
Twitter continues to emerge as a powerful and easy-to-use tool for job seekers and employers alike. Practice and perfect your 140-character communication line to reach out to employers and engage in industry observations. Use hash tags to help you get found. Follow important leaders in the companies and fields you are interested in. And don’t miss out on regularly looking up ‘TweetmyJobs’ – this is where many employers and even other job seekers tweet links to job.
10. The rise of YouTube.
It’s no surprise why YouTube is becoming a favourite tool for both candidates and recruiters. A video is a great opportunity to tell a compelling story about you to attract top recruiters. Plus, the average user spends 15 minutes a day on the site and this also includes the hiring manager that you are targetting. Many organizations, educational institutions and even the military successfully use YouTube to hire candidates.
Here’s wishing you quick job success – with the many refreshing new ways to engage with employers, get noticed, and unearth new job opportunities.