The New Resume Focuses On This
Job candidates looking to stand out from the competition aren't sweating the details, such as paper quality, font and resume layout, when applying for jobs. Instead, 63 percent of job seekers say they like to let their experience speak for itself when applying for a job.
Additionally, nearly 28 percent of candidates say they like to personally hand their résumé s to the human resources department. Other candidates are a bit more cavalier in their approach to standing out from the crowd in their job search. Five percent of workers say they attach an attractive photo to their résumé and 3 percent say they flirt with the interviewer in an attempt to catch their attention.
"It is clear that the survey results support the notion that online and social media as job search instruments will grow in coming years," James Weaver, director of FindEmployment.com, which conducted the research. "While social media is currently the least popular channel used by job seekers, this is due to the fact that it is the newest method of job search to join more established channels. The trend we see in our experience is that social media is emerging as a replacement for the more traditional type of networking methods that have been established in the past."
Job seekers also have a few other tricks when it comes to performing well on an interview. Fifty-two percent of job seekers say researching the company and their competition is the best way to prepare for an interview. Thirty-four percent of job seekers say they try to find time to relax before an interview. Just 11 percent of respondents say they practice interview questions while 3 percent of candidates practice interview skills by videotaping themselves to see where they can improve.
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"Technology has definitely simplified the process of applying for a job today," Weaver said. "Online recruitment platforms offer companies the ability to post their vacancies with fewer limitations on the information conveyed. For example recruiters can include detailed job descriptions improving transparency on the roles offered. This allows candidates to tailor their résumé to match the job specifications better, therefore their résumé and the experience cited speaks clearly to the recruiter regarding the vacancy concerned."
To find jobs, candidates are turning to a number of places. Mostly, job seekers rely on online recruitment platforms when searching for a job. Overall, 27 percent of respondents say they turn to online platforms when looking for a job. Respondents also say they rely on personal research and contact recruitment companies to help them find a job. Social media is the least popular resource people use to look for jobs.
"The findings of the survey highlight how job seekers are actively embracing and adapting swiftly to new mediums available to them to find a job," Weaver said. "The speedy pace of evolution evident in technology today, means that people are moving away from traditional media and switching to a digital format en masse to enhance their employment prospects."
The research was based on 693 responses.
This story was provided by BusinessNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience. Follow David Mielach on Twitter @D_M89. Follow us @bndarticles, Facebook or Google+. This story originally published on BusinessNewsDaily.
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