There are many obstacles to overcome when looking for a new job. Stressful interviews, rejection, and ghosting are just a few things you may encounter. With more than 15 + years of recruitment experience, I have provided countless job seekers with helpful tips, advice, and guidance. I am confident that the following six tips will help prepare you for your next job search. 

Networking 

Build relationships with people who work in your field and find ways to connect with them whenever possible. For example, you may attend conferences, speaking events, or join social platforms such as LinkedIn. You can also ask friends and/or family for referrals. The power of networking is unquantifiable. In some cases, it is not what you know but whom you know. 

Understand what you are looking for

Many job seekers apply to several online job openings. Your job search should be targeted and strategic. You will be more successful if you apply to roles that closely match your qualifications. Also, apply to organizations that are in line with your core values. 

Your Resume

Is your resume free of grammatical errors? Do the dates of the employment line up? If not, a hiring manager may quickly discount your candidacy due to a minor error. Always proofread your resume before submitting it to a hiring manager. 

Do not be too hard on yourself 

Not being offered the job you desire often leads to disappointment. Especially when you were confident you were going to get it. Take the experience as a learning opportunity. Rejection means redirection. There is always another opportunity waiting for you. A positive attitude goes a very long way and will help set you apart from the other applicants. If you were not chosen for the job, try to get feedback from the hiring manager as to why you were not selected. 

Timing

Timing is everything. The perfect job opportunity presents itself, but you suddenly have a change of heart and decide that it is not the right time to start a new job. This is not uncommon. I have seen many job seekers walk away from a new job opportunity because they did not feel it was the right time to do so for various reasons. Make sure you are 100 percent ready to take on a new role or a career change before you start your job search. 

Keep it simple

When interviewing, responses should be direct and on point. Listen carefully to the questions being asked. Nerves can sometimes get the best of us, and as a result, job seekers will try to oversell their accomplishments rather than answering the questions. During an interview, I always advise job seekers to be humble with their responses and remember to KISS (keep it simple silly). To help alleviate some of your nerves, try to learn as much as you can about the organization and the role that you applied for. 

A long-time friend of mine recently resigned from a highly coveted position. She was the Vice President of human resources for a large Canadian organization. She was very dedicated to her career. She worked very hard, quickly climbing up the career ladder. She had a very heavy work load. She rarely worked 9:00am to 5:00pm. She often and tirelessly worked evenings and weekends. She traveled across Canada and the U.S., jumping on and off of planes. Her laptop was her best friend.

She was compensated very well. An enticing salary, excellent benefits, a jaw dropping annual bonus along with stock options. Senior leadership was very happy with her productivity and saw her has an extremely valuable asset to the team. She had reached the top of her career mountain ( or so she thought ) she was not happy. She would often tell me how poorly she was treated and how she never felt valued and appreciated. She resigned, providing 1-month notice to her employer. She had accepted a role closer to home, no travel and far less compensated with a much smaller organization.

She told me that money truly isn’t everything. Money didn’t make her happy. She needed something more. She needed to feel appreciated. She quietly walked away from a six-figure income and she was at peace with her decision.

The moral of the story. Employees want and need to feel appreciated. They want to work in a positive work environment, one that empowers their employees. Yes, money is important, however, today employees look for more then just a large pay cheque. She encouraged me to read the following book. The Monk who sold his Ferrari by Robin Sharma.

When an organization places a job advertisement online, they can receive between 200 to 400 resumes. So, how do you stand out from the crowd of applicants? I will provide you with my top resume tips. Things you can do to your resume to help you get noticed by a potential employer.

 

Provide metrics and analytics on your resume  

Employers absolutely love seeing numbers and metrics on a resume. It really helps you stand out and sets you apart from the sea of applicants. Shocking, most applicants do not do this.

• What have you done or implemented that made a financial impact on the business?
• Metrics and analytics really help an applicant stand out and help tell your story

Example:

• Improved employee morale by 50%
• Reduced employee turnover by 30%
• Saved the company $50,000.00 by conducting a payroll audit

 

Keep your resume short and simple

Unless you are at an executive level, resumes are only meant to be 2 pages. Hiring managers get frustrated when they receive 3 to 5 page resumes.  Potential employers are only interested in your past 3 to 4 roles. There is no benefit to letting an employer know you were a CSR while you were in school.

• Less is sometimes more
• Get right to the point on your resume
• 1-page resumes can be  effective

 

Avoid spelling and grammatical errors on your resume

I was working with a client, assisting them with a senior HRPR role. The VP of HR was interested in meeting with a candidate for the final time. She cancelled the final interview with the candidate after she noticed a minor spelling error on her resume. Harsh? Maybe, however she reserved the right to hire applicants that paid attention to detail.

• Always proof ready your resume before submitting it
• Even if you have the right skills and experience, most employers will automatically discount your resume if they find a spelling or grammatical error your resume

 

Make it easy for an employer or recruiter to connect with you

I cannot tell you how many resumes I have seen over the years, where I was unable to find a candidate contact details. Surprisingly many job seekers fail to leave it off of their resume.  Put your phone number and email address on the TOP of your resume. Make it bold and make it clear. It should not be hidden at the bottom or on the side of your resume.

• Your name, email address should be on the first page of your resume
• It should be bold and clear and your contact details should be updated
• Your home address is not required, however it can be useful

 

Chronological order

Employers are interested in your past 3 to 4 roles. They want to see where you are currently working right now and so on.

• A resume should always be in chronological order
•  From most recent work experience to past work experience

 

Fonts and Images

I often see resumes with crazy fonts, clip art images and the applicant’s photo on the resume. None of that is needed. When it comes to resume writing, keep your resume clean and simple and easy to read. Creative fonts are not needed whatsoever and images do not increase your odds of getting hired.

• Applicant photos are not required on a resume
• Photos on resumes are common in Europe
• Use fonts like Arial or Times New Roman.  10 to 12 points

 

Applicant tracking systems and key words

What is an applicant tracking system?  Essentially, an ATS is a software that scans, searches and looks for key words and phrases on a resume to determine if an applicant closely meets the job requirements. Organizations get flooded with countless resumes, but an ATS is designed to quickly pick out the best and most qualified applicants that match the job requirements.

• Keywords should include your skills, experience, core competencies and educational accomplishments.
• Tailor your resume to the job you are applying for