The jobless rate in this country is abysmal. Currently stuck at 9 percent, many Americans who find themselves unemployed in an unstable economy are desperate for the types of work many wouldn’t consider in a flourishing financial landscape. For some, finding full-time work is a luxury, since many companies have downsized, laid off staff, or have fluctuated between hiring freezes, furloughs, and other personnel cutbacks.
It would seem finding a job has numerous roadblocks. What makes things harder?
In short, we are growing as a nation, but there are just not enough new jobs that we’re creating. Ask President Obama, who recently concluded a three-day tour of the country, or pre-election visit, as most of us acknowledge. This is one of the top questions the country wants answers to, and rightfully so. Unfortunately, there appear to be no easy answers, and no perfected way of securing opportunities in a decimated employment environment.
Faced with such challenges, various articles showcase what the jobseeker can do to increase chances of nailing a job. However, reading through some of them, is it possible that we’re seeing more and more tests that résumés and cover letters are only a small part of?
In looking at a list of things jobseekers should avoid, some are obvious. Aol Jobs reports, first and foremost, proofread everything that a recruiter might see — from your résumé and cover letter, down to your email exchanges…and even your social-media profiles. Wow. Now that’s a 21st century requirement. Who would have thought that your extracurricular, fun, social-media site is being scrutinized for grammar?
Here’s another 21st century note — customize your résumé and cover letter to match the job description you’re applying for so keywords get picked up in employer tracking systems, thereby reducing your chances of getting screened out. It would appear that gone are the days when a hiring professional makes this assessment from, you know, evaluating your résumé as a whole.
You should also remember “lost art” things, like remembering to address hiring managers with a formal and professional tone — as in using their surname. You would think that this is a no-brainer, but you would be wrong! Think about it. Especially for relatively young people just entering the workforce, or those so accustomed to corresponding digitally. Our growing informal social media world creates a level of intimacy that is manufactured. In that world everyone is on a first-name basis.
The thing though, is that you can’t totally divorce yourself from that implied intimacy, because hiring managers also want to see that you know how to, “Use your social media pages to market and brand yourself (informally) while remembering that there is no privacy on the Internet (i.e. no pictures of navel-based Jello shots).”
You have to remember that things like your email address, your social media profiles, and even what kind of tone you use in your voicemail create a personal brand that hiring managers are evaluating. In actuality all of these things factor in swaying a person’s hiring decision. Sheesh. It seems a little scary that in today’s rough economy it isn’t just enough to be qualified for a job, or to be a great fit on paper, but your entire online existence has to be one that matches some unknown criteria for a potential employer. What if you’re too professional and the employer wants your social media site to have zeal? What if you’re too dynamic, and the employer wants someone more reserved? How do you determine the standard?
It certainly does feel like the first day of high school when you don’t know what group to join, who’s looking at your outward appearance and making assumptions, what ultimately those around you expect or what they’re looking for. It can appear a bit silly and juvenile.
Furthermore, it begs the question of whether or not our online existence makes it that much harder to find a job? Are employers relying on too many factors that work against the jobseeker? As opposed to screening people in do they just serve to screen people out? This seems like a good 21st century question to ask all those 21st century hiring managers.
Personally, I’d like to keep all of this social media scrutiny to a minimum. If you’re interested in me based on my skills and qualifications, how about we try something a bit old fashioned…how about you give me a call for an interview and we can talk about it face to face.
[Pics, walyou.com, Higer Ed Morning, Paramount Studios]
