The recession may seem like it’s over. But, the unemployment rate is not quite in the clear as of yet.  With thousands of people still out of work, employers are making it more difficult for individuals to obtain interviews.  Companies and recruitment agencies are looking for top tier applicants who have the skill sets and the appearance of ingenuity.  Meaning, talent acquisition managers are using social networks such as LinkedIn to search for potential candidates.  To them, a completed and well written LinkedIn profile saves them plenty of man hours.

 

The idea of having an online profile/resume is part of the job markets acknowledgement of how job applicants has embraced technology.  In a recent article on the WallStreet Journal website, LinkedIn’s level of importance was stressed.

 

In today’s executive search market, if you’re not on LinkedIn, you don’t exist,” says Wendy Enelow, author of “Expert Resumes for Managers and Executives” and “Best Resumes for $100,000+ Jobs.” Ms. Enelow suggests including live email links on your Microsoft Word résumé and live links to your LinkedIn profile. “Make it easy for recruiters and hiring managers to contact you with one click to your email and one click to your LinkedIn profile,” she says.

 

LinkedIn isn’t a job seekers only option. Many tech-savvy individuals are now creating a personal website and/or WordPress sites to detail their work experience and highlight various certifications or special skill sets. Having an online prescence, in general, is a great idea and is well-received by employers.

 

To add that extra spark to your resume’, employers also suggest adding a URL link to your document. This way it will take only seconds for the recruiter to type in the URL and instantly pull up a digital copy of your resume’. Remember, this will help you standout from the huge stack of other resume’s they’ve received. Here are a few other tips to improve your ability for your resume’ to attract employers:

 

  • No longer is it warranted that you submit a one or two page resume’.  If you are a manager moving to executive level, employers know that you have over 10 years experience. It is difficult to fit all that experience in two pages. So, feel free to expand your resume’. Don’t be afraid to include a five page resume’ with your application.
  • Refrain from using generic terms to describe your working style (i.e. team player, motivated, proven track record, fast paced, entreprenuerial, problem solver, etc).  Experts suggest you describe a special project you’ve worked on in place of using the generic terms.
  • Employers appreciates time-savings. With that said, make sure you highlight (at the top of your resume…in place of that old “summary” or “overview”) words that instantly describes who you are. Think of your resume’ as a branding tool. Quickly brand yourself by using phrases like “business analytics and project management”, “social media marketing”, “IT director”, for example.

 

We hope these tid bits can assist you on your job search. Good luck!