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New Survey Quantifies The 'Job Seeker Dilemma': Are You Making Similar Job Search Mistakes?

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Future Workplace, a research firm, and Beyond, The Career Network, conducted a national survey covering 4,347 job seekers and 129 HR professionals. The findings point to a disconnect among job seekers and companies. For example:

• 71% of HR professionals listed employee referrals as the best source for finding candidates, but only 7% of job seekers view referrals as a top source;

• 12% of job seekers believe that GPA is emphasized during hiring, while only 6% of HR professionals prioritized GPA;

• 14% of job seekers surveyed are liberal arts majors, but only 2% of companies are actively recruiting those majors (conversely, 15% of job seekers are engineering and computer information systems majors and 30% of companies are actively recruiting those majors)

That the numbers show job seekers and employers don’t see eye-to-eye on what’s important and desirable in the hiring process is a powerful reminder that if you’re in a job search right now, you can help yourself by tailoring your search efforts to what employers are looking for. This doesn’t mean you have to change your major (and you might be years removed from college anyway), but look at how you’re marketing and positioning yourself. Are you relating to the employers’ point of view?

Review your resume for quantifiable contributions to the business.

Will employers see that you get things done because you have shared specific results? Will they understand the scope and scale of your impact because you have shared actual metrics and numbers to back up your claims?

Write your cover letter to match the job at hand.

Are you addressing the specific qualifications and requirements listed in the job description, using the exact keywords when you can? Are the examples you give as your accomplishments relevant to what the employer wants the next hire to accomplish, referring back to the exact language in the job description?

Listen in your interview responses for a focus on how the employer benefits and not just your accomplishments or wants and needs.

A good test for this is to role play your interview, record your responses, and see how many of them relate specifically to the employer. When you give an example outside of the employer’s industry (for example they’re a finance company and you’re in consumer products) do you bring the conversation back to the employer’s industry and specifically point out how your expertise, skills or experience relate to finance? Are you assuming the employer will make connections, or are you drawing vivid conclusions for them?

Finally, go where the employers are looking for candidates.

Now that you know employee referrals are a top source for candidates, are you focusing your time and effort on getting these referrals? Now that you know most employers don’t care about GPA, can you stop tweaking your resume for the umpteenth time to explain yourself just so…and just put yourself out there?

The Future Workplace and Beyond survey paint an overall picture that job seekers and employers don’t view the job search in the same way. The employers, however, are the customers, and you as the job seeker, are the salesperson. Meet your “customers” where they are. Focus on how they will benefit. Emphasize the attributes they care about.

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