Job Searching in the Digital Age - What You Need to Know
Searching and applying for jobs is nothing like it used to be. Gone are the days of physically handing in or mailing your resume and waiting for a call about the position. Now, nearly all job search communication happens electronically. Since the employer isn’t likely to see your face and interact with you until you’re invited for an interview, the paperwork, and the way you follow up, must be perfect.
Welcome to the world of digital applications and applicant tracking systems. Mistakes in the process, even minor ones, can cost you the opportunity.
And if a recruiter or hiring manager has to guess about important information, inevitably you will be passed over. There are plenty of others in the pipeline to review, so they won’t spend precious time digging for information that should have been provided.
Here are four important points to remember when searching and applying for jobs:
Don’t use one standard resume: Tailor your resume and cover letter for every specific position. Follow our resume examples in the Writing Resumes section of the Virtual Resource Room at Calgary Career Hub. Go to Resource Room Register — Calgary Career Hub
Don’t mass email your resume without a specific role in mind: A big pet peeve of recruiters - when candidates email their resume to the company’s recruiting email, asking to be considered “for any role where they might be a good fit.” If you can’t take the time to look at the list of job openings and apply for a specific role, why should the Hiring Manager bother taking the time to review your application?
Your online presence must be perfect: Your online presence needs to be clean and updated before you apply anywhere. This is especially relevant on LinkedIn, but also on any other platform where you have profiles (Facebook, Instagram, etc.). If your resume gets noticed, a recruiter or hiring manager will look you up on social media. True statement here.
Reference the job title: If you are emailing your application for a specific job, mention the position (and job ID, if applicable) on both your resume and cover letter- so the ATS will know which role to assign your application, and place you in the correct digital mailbox.