Are you aware of the tools and formats in a modern job search
Interviews are being landed amid COVID with a Modern Resume Format
I am riding shotgun with two folks right now on their post-COVID job search. The first thing we did was update their resume format. One is changing careers after being in the service industry for 15 plus years. The other candidate is in technology. Both of these folks are landing interviews in a time where there is a record number of unemployment claims. I want to share their stories so you can increase your odds of landing an interview.
Unemployment claims shot up again last weekend in the United States and the future predictions are not looking much better. My founder buddies at LocateAI are in the retail business with some pretty cool reporting tech. They sent me this link which gives a report on the retail industry by state. Scroll down the page and you can see how individual franchises are fairing. If you are unemployed, my heart goes out to you. It’s not your fault and you didn’t deserve this.
Free resume writing tools
In an effort to help with your post-COVID job search, I and my co-founder are making our site, CareerTracker.co free to readers with the linked promo code (LEVELPLAYINGFIELD). These automated tools use a modern resume format and cover letters. We also give you a way to track all of your job applications so you know when to follow up with a free follow up template.
There were jobs in 2008
In 2008, I was working in HR and although unemployment numbers were very high, I believe that the numbers could have been lower. Yes, there were fewer job openings, but I also believe that most candidates were not conducting effective, or targeted job searches. I saw a lot of outdated resume formats. Consequently, candidates were not able to land interviews or receive callbacks. If you are in the service industries, yes, finding a job in the same industry will be tough. No doubt about it. But there are jobs in other industries and the folks I am working with are proof of this.
A few reasons why many folks remained unemployed in prior recessions
- Candidates who were working in the same job or industry for a number of years were not familiar with modern job search methods. They were in a long term relationship with their employer. With the introduction of online job applications, online job boards, and resumes that are no longer being printed on paper, successful candidates updated their job search tactics.
- EG: We all have friends who were in long term relationships with the same person. When the relationship ended, our single friends needed to adapt to the new world of online dating, and the world of dating apps. The job application and search processes went through the same changes. Candidates of today need to adopt to post COVID job search strategies.
- In the last recession, we heard stories of candidates applying for 100’s of positions and not hearing anything back from hiring companies.
- EG: The folks I worked with that sent in 100’s of resume all used a single version of their resume to apply for all 100 plus jobs. In any job market, we need to tailor our resumes and cover letters for the specific job of interest. When there are a higher number of unemployed applicants, this is even more critical. If we were to apply to 10 different positions, we should be using 10 different resumes. These resumes will be similar but they will have subtle differences that target a specific job. In a tighter job market, employers will be pickier about who they interview. The way we show we are qualified is by tailoring our resume to an individual job posting.
How many pairs of shoes do you have?
Most of us won’t wear the same pair of shoes to play basketball, work in the yard, and then to a special occasion dinner. We have sports shoes, old shoes for yard work, and dress shoes. Using the same resume to apply for multiple positions is the equivalent of wearing the same pair of shoes to every occasion. I dedicated a post to this critical step here.
The goal is to reverse engineer your cover letter and resume to fit each specific job opening you apply for. Some readers are asking “Does that mean I need to track 100 different versions of my resume?” No.
Components of an effective resume
If we are writing an effective resume that checks all the following boxes, we shouldn’t need 100 resumes. A modern job search doesn’t send out 100 identical resumes. Using 100 copies of the same resume, hoping something will stick is a shotgun approach. A modern job search will send out a few tailored, very specific, well-placed resumes. This modern resume will:
- Provide the relevant information that the Hiring Manager needs to see. These accomplishments will directly answer the bullets from the job description. Hiring managers don’t need to see a long list of bullets from a job 10 years ago. They want to see what you have done in your last few jobs in the last few years.
- Be very easy to read. Many resumes try to fit too much information into 1 or two pages and then the document becomes hard to read. Using fewer relevant bullets on a less crowded document is easier to read.
- Take into consideration modern times and are formatted for the year 2020. Resumes aren’t printed as much as they were a few years ago. Most resumes are read from a laptop screen so our format needs to take this new medium into consideration. We show you how to take advantage of this new medium.
Is your search modern or old school?
The above are just a few differences that a successful candidate will incorporate into their resume and modern job search. If you are not taking into consideration the 3 bullets listed above, then you are probably not conducting a modern job search.
The two folks I am working with have incorporated the above bullets into their resume to name just a few of the adjustments they have made and are landing interviews.
Nothing to lose
You can have access to all of these modern resume format tools with the use of our tools at CareerTracker.co. We are making these available for free in a post Covid economy. No catch, no credit card needed. Our templates will allow you to produce a beautiful document that is modern and effective. The entire toolset is automated and will prompt you every step of the way. CareerTracker.co will also allow you to track your multiple applications and ping you up with the appropriate follow-up email template or phone call when it is time. All tools are designed by a professional recruiter to help you compete in a post COVID job search.
Give it a shot. Free to use for the next few months and we have had 100’s of resumes created in the last few days.
Good luck,
HRNasty
nasty: an unreal maneuver of incredible technique, something that is ridiculously good, tricky and manipulative but with a result that can’t help but be admired, a phrase used to describe someone who is good at something. “He has a nasty forkball”.
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