Back on the Hunt

Looking for a job is tough at any stage of life. But COVID-19 forced a lot of people into the job market for the first time in a long time. If you have suddenly found yourself searching, here’s my advice on getting back out there.

Coronavirus changed nearly everything in our lives. For many people, COVID-19 not only hijacked their daily routines, it also stole their jobs. In April of 2020, 43 of the 50 United States had record-high unemployment rates – including South Dakota at 10.2 percent. Now months later, small businesses, restaurants, retailers and some manufacturers continue to struggle to recover. Many are forced to cut costs by cutting jobs. Employees who have worked for the same company for five, 10, even 20 years, may now find themselves back on the hunt for a job, through no fault or decision of their own.

If it has been a while since you’ve been searching and applying, here are five things that have changed and how to adapt to today’s job market.

The Process

Job boards and online listings have been around since the 1990s, but now everything is done online. Resumes are uploaded, applications are submitted and sophisticated software pre-screens candidates. Technology is making the hiring process easier and more convenient for both you and the company. However, applicant tracking software also makes it a little tougher to break through. Even if you’re qualified, if you don’t use the right keywords, the software algorithm may filter you out.

To help you advance further in the process, look for specific job skills listed in the job description. Talk about how you used these skills to get results for your former employer. Refer to your expertise by industry and job description keywords. Some resume building websites unwisely suggest you “cheat” the algorithms by copying and pasting the job description or keywords in white. The software will often flag this, and it can give the human reviewing your resume a negative impression. They may then choose to discard your application.

Many companies require an online profile along with your resume. When creating this, think of it as a cover letter. Focus on personal and professional accomplishments, values and goals. What experiences led you to your success? What do you want to accomplish? What personal/professional traits do you have that make you right for the company?

Updating Your Resume

140. That’s the old maximum number of characters you could have in a tweet. Couple that with the popularity of texting, and we have a society inclined to only read short, simple snippets. If you say that’s not you, think about the last time you read a lengthy article, blog, Facebook post or email without skimming? (Hopefully it’s this one!)

HR professionals aren’t any different from you. We see hundreds of resumes and we tend to scan them for relevant information. When updating your resume, keep it skimmable and straightforward.

• Use bullet points and short sentences.
• Focus on accomplishments you had while using your job skills, don’t just give us a list of skills.
• Highlight sections with bold titles (i.e., Past Experience, Technical Abilities, etc.)
• Start with your most recent experience.
• Instead of an objective (i.e., Obtain a job as…) use a value statement or summary of what you can bring to the company.
• Proofread, proofread and then have someone else proofread. If you don’t have anyone to proof your resume, consider a free website, like Grammarly, to help flag misspellings and incorrect word usage.

Clean Up Social Media

This advice isn’t only for new college graduates. According to Statista, 79 percent of Americans are on social media. There’s a good chance a company is going to check out your social profiles before hiring you. Look at your public images, posts and tweets. Delete anything that may be inappropriate. Don’t forget to update LinkedIn. This platform has increasingly become more important to recruiters and HR professionals.

Treat your LinkedIn profile as your resume. Keep it simple, results-oriented and full of strong, action verbs and accomplishments. Be sure to include a professional photograph (keep the casual ones for Facebook and Instagram). Use the headline under your name to tell recruiters and employers about yourself (ie, Self-motivated, extrovert that loves helping people solve problems.)

The Interview

Let’s say you’ve been looking for a job for a while and finally land an interview. The morning of your meeting, you forget to set the alarm. You wake up with just enough time to get in your car and drive to the appointment. Do you waste time getting dressed? Or do you throw on a shower cap to hide your bedhead and put on your best robe?

It’s a tough choice – be appropriately dressed and fashionably late or be on time and look like you rolled right out of bed.

Here at PREMIER, we actually had an applicant show up in PJs and a shower cap (because a baseball hat would have been inappropriate for an interview.) Talk about awkward first impressions.

The interviewing process may be the most challenging part of job seeking. It can be an #EpicFail in a shower cap or your ticket to employment.

Let’s start with the basics.

• Dress – even though our world has become more casual, the interview hasn’t. You should still dress professionally and conservatively. Don’t show off your cool tattoos and make sure your hair is clean and combed.
• Leave Your Phone Behind – Keep your phone on silent and in your pocket or purse. Better yet, please keep it in the car, so you’re not tempted to check it when you get notifications. Setting your phone on the table and/or checking it makes it appear you aren’t serious about the job.
• Do Your Research – surf the web and social media to get a good feel for the company and its culture. This is also an excellent way to formulate questions you may have about working there.
• Practice – If it’s been a while since you’ve interviewed, have a trusted friend or family member conduct a practice interview to help you think on your feet. Remember, it’s also uncomfortable to talk about yourself and accomplishments in person, so practicing will help you sound more confident. Reread the job description and think of any potential questions you may get asked.

With ongoing COVID-19 concerns, many companies are still conducting remote interviews. Take these as seriously as a face-to-face encounter. Get dressed up. Put the dog outside. Check the background. Keep your phone out of reach. Turn off computer alerts and email. Minimize as many distractions as possible so you are 100% present and engaged with the interviewer.

Here’s another true story from our experiences here at PREMIER. An applicant was asked about how she managed her time and attendance at her former employer. Instead of answering, she burst into tears and left the room. Not a great way to sell yourself.

We all have past mistakes. Talk about what you learned and how you are now a better employee for having had the experience. You want to be a memorable candidate for your qualifications, not your mistakes.

Follow-up Thank You

Follow your interview with a sincere and personal thank you. You can send a handwritten note or an email with links to your portfolio or LinkedIn page. NEVER send a text or private message via social media. Be sure to send your thank you within 24 to 48 hours. If more than one person interviews you, request business cards and send each one a separate, personalized email.

Writing a thank you also allows you to clarify any questions you may not have answered thoroughly or as clearly as you would have liked. It’s also an excellent opportunity to reiterate why you would want the job.

Final Thoughts

I’ll leave you with this final thought: COVID-19 robbed a lot of people of opportunities and experiences. We can either be better or bitter. Look at this time in your life as a positive. It’s an opportunity to reinvent yourself as you start a new chapter in your career. Just be sure to leave the shower cap at home.

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