Recently many of my friends and colleagues have come to me with questions on what’s new and different about applying for positions in our fast paced internet driven world of HR. What’s different? Well, a lot really. I will be blunt; there are a few changes you might need to make in your application process, documents and most importantly in your expectations as you head down this road in the New Year.
Let’s start with the easy stuff, your documentation:
Cover letters are a thing of the past. Get rid of them, don’t attach them. Statistics have shown that the average time a recruiter spends examining your resume is six seconds. Yup, you read that correctly. Six short little seconds and they will determine which pile your resume will go into. Don’t waste a moment on making someone search through a document to find the relevant bullet points—this includes scanning past your gratuitous cover letter. Everything a prospective employer needs to know about your experience should be quickly and easily found in your resume.
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Objective lines on resumes are dead. If you’re applying to the job that is listed we are going to assume that your objective is to get the job. Save the space on your resume to highlight specific experience that makes you the dream candidate for this specific job. There must be something unique about this job that made you want to apply. Use that nugget to tie your skills to this opening.
When applying to a position electronically, please, please pleeeeaaaassseee follow the instructions. Don’t just click and attach— many recruiters lace postings with specific instructions for the application process as a means by which to begin thinning the herd (attach resume in Word format only, reference job posting title in subject line, reply to a specific e-mail address, etc.). Sound harsh? You got it. It’s an extremely competitive job market and if you can’t take the time to follow basic instructions when you should be putting your best foot forward, companies will assume you’re not serious about applying, you’re not detail oriented and will bring this lack of procedural care into any position that you might hope to land. Let’s assume you’re applying for this position because you actually want it. Take the time to show it. It’s all that much more important to get these things right in this faceless digital world.
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Now let’s talk about the difficult stuff… expectations: This is where you may need to do some reprogramming.
In many cases you should not expect to receive any feedback at all once your resume is received. The job market is saturated with applicants. This means that companies have the upper hand and will expect you to do the follow up, even if you were practically genetically engineered for their job. Applying for positions is work, it takes follow through. If you’re not willing to put effort into getting the job…well, you can see where this is heading…
Keep a running list of positions you are applying/ have applied for. Include a few basic items; Company name, position title, contact person’s name, key points of the job. It’s very frustrating to weed through a stack of resumes and make a variety of phone calls to clueless applicants. A great way to make a bad impression is to have no idea what the person calling you is talking about. You applied for the position, perhaps this brain lapse is through no fault of your own, maybe your application was two months ago, a lot happens in two months. Use your running list to remind you who what where, this will also help you to avoid applying for multiple positions at the same company. If you were the dream candidate for a job they posted last month, how are you possibly the best fit for the new job they just listed? Don’t shoot yourself in the foot by diluting your skill set with duplicate applications.
Don’t lose heart. Economists do not expect much movement in the job market until spring of 2014, this is the new normal. Plan to be on the search for a while, expect that turnaround times will be lengthy. Multiple interviews are becoming the norm with an abundance of candidates and companies taking their time to hire. Surround yourself with positive, supportive people who will continually encourage you when you can’t encourage yourself. Break the negative feedback loop, don’t rush things. That next great gig is worth waiting for…it will come.
