Help Wanted 2016: Landing your Dream Job

An Experts Exchange Whitepaper

(877) 211-8911 x299 | Experts-Exchange.com 2

It can often be challenging to stay relevant in the rapidly evolving world of technology. As soon as you put the finishing touches on your resume, you earn a new certification, acquire a new skill or find a more effective way to talk about your career. This, and other near misses, can make searching for jobs a daunting task. Old school filtering on recruiting sites sometimes kick back talented candidates, and balancing resumes and online profiles mean job seekers often leave out the key skills specific employers are looking for. Plus there’s the difficult task of talking yourself up without bragging or having a big ego. Even if you aren’t on the cutting edge of job hunting, the are odds in your favor. According to Foote Partners, hiring in the technology sector will continue to rise in 2016, with architects, data analysts, security and product designers representing the strongest growth. Companies are actively trying to fill open positions. The question is, how do you get in the door? The short of it is, there are a lot of similarities between candidates and companies when it comes to hiring. These two sides have plenty of opportunity to get better at finding one another, and we’re here to help.

INTRODUCTION

(877) 211-8911 x299 | Experts-Exchange.com 3

Yes, you must have a resume

Today’s resumes are more fluid than they once were. A universal resume to send to various employers isn’t going to set you apart from the crowd anymore. Be sure to update your resume regularly and have a specific one tailored to each position you are applying for. These customized resumes let you highlight your skills and achievements as they relate to each position. While an actual resume is a necessary formality, it doesn’t take the place of an online resume, website or other online presence, which can be just as, important. Operate on the assumption that the company is probably going to Google you, if so, what would they find?

Avoid bells and whistles

Unless the design of your resume is relevant to the skills you can offer the company, stick to the basics. Candidate screeners don’t have much patience for gimmicks. An unconventional resume is risky because is has to go through several screening processes before it ever lands in the inbox of the person who would appreciate the effort. Whatever you do, be sure to highlight your skills and accomplishments in a way that illustrates your value and makes you stand out. A great place

Help Wanted 2016: Landing your Dream Job

“With over 500,000 members and millions of monthly

visitors, Experts Exchange is the ideal place for technology

professionals to showcase their experiences, skills, and receive unparalleled

exposure.”

Quickly build your Experts Exchange profile by automatically syncing

your LinkedIn profile.

Sync Profile

(877) 211-8911 x299 | Experts-Exchange.com 4

“Experts Exchange gives members a way to rank

up by putting their skills to work helping others. When

employers view profiles, they can see certifications,

rankings, solutions, and contributed content - a

proven indicator of skills and commitment.”

“Experts Exchange allows you to create a bio that’s

searchable online, providing members great exposure to

potential employers.”

to further show off your skills and creativity is through links to projects you have worked on via your website and online profiles.

A good bio is your personal elevator pitch

It not only gives an overview of your major accomplishments, it gives people an idea of who you are and what drives you. Make it quick, make it interesting, and only include the highlights. It’s helpful to visit LinkedIn or company websites to read the bios of executives you admire to get inspired.

Keywords aren’t just for SEO

Hiring departments use targeted search terms to scan applicant resumes, find candidates online, and find local talent (see more facts about applicant tracking systems

(877) 211-8911 x299 | Experts-Exchange.com 5

below). Increase your odds of being found by including keywords that are also found in job descriptions, and through perusing the company website.

Networking matters

Even with a great resume, your chances of getting noticed, let alone hired, can be pretty dicey. You have to get out there and talk with people in your industry. Luckily, thanks to the Internet, networking has become a lot easier. Professional online networks allow you to connect with current employees and sometimes executives at the companies you want to work for. Commenting or interacting with blog authors on specific topics can start a conversation and lead to new opportunities. Even more valuable are forums and communities where professionals in your industry talk casually, exchange ideas and offer assistance. These relationships with other professionals are invaluable: according to a 2014 recruiting survey by Jobvite, 60% of recruiters’ best job candidates came from referrals.

Be test ready

Many employers want to see proof of your skills. Some will send over a skills assessment prior to the full interview process. Others will

Build a network of professional colleagues, demonstrate your

skills by answering questions and show employers that you are a

pro at working with others - all on Experts Exchange.

have you complete the assessment as part of the interview. Either way, you’ll have to complete it with proficiency before making it to the next step in the hiring process.

Promote yourself

Continuously put yourself out there to demonstrate your skills and experience. Write a blog, contribute to online forums, offer to present at small business workshops, and identify other opportunities to gain notoriety. A great gauge is to search your name online before you start and then do it again a few months later. Employers will most likely look you up, having little to nothing in the search results can hurt you. According to a 2014 Jobvite survey, 93% of hiring managers visit a candidate’s social media profile during the review process and 73% have hired candidates through social media. In addition, make sure your LinkedIn and other profiles are up-to-date, keyword optimized and professional.

Not all job sites are equal Niche job sites focused on your industry are your best bet for finding a job that suits you well. Employers posting on these sites know what they are looking for and choose accordingly. Many niche boards, including Careers by Experts Exchange, also provide

(877) 211-8911 x299 | Experts-Exchange.com 6

Takeaways Job seekers and hiring managers shouldn’t be like two ships passing in the night. Thanks to technology, the arduous processing of job hunting is in the midst of an awkward teenage phase. To get one step closer to landing your dream job, be sure to balance optimization for new technologies with old-fashioned interactions and networking. In the meantime, continue to build on your skillset, bolstering your online profiles, and practice talking about your past accomplishments.

a community of like-minded professionals that can go a step further and provide recommendations and assistance with your job hunt.

The secrets of applicant tracking systems Many large companies are required to feed resumes through an applicant tracking system (ATS) that pre-screens all applicants. It was designed to make the screening of thousands of applicants more efficient and quickly weed out unqualified applicants. However, it’s an imperfect solution, as a large majority of qualified applicants (up to 75% in many cases) can get screened out, and only the top 20 will ever actually be reviewed by a hiring manager. Customizing your resume for each position, using keywords from the job description and company website, and networking can help you circumvent this hurdle.

“Read how Experts Exchange contributions helped one member

become a Microsoft MVP.”

(877) 211-8911 x299 | Experts-Exchange.com 7

Experts Exchange is the network for technology professionals.

With unparalleled access to technical experts, verified real-world solutions, and diverse

educational content, we enable technology professionals to solve difficult problems, make

better decisions, and build expertise on their own terms. By enabling personalized skills

development and relevant professional exposure. Experts Exchange powers the growth and

success of technology professionals worldwide.

ABOUT EXPERTS EXCHANGE

Learn, grow and succeed with Experts Exchange

http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2015/02/09/whats-different-about-job-searching-in-2015)http://mashable.com/2015/06/12/3-brilliant-linkedin-summaries/?utm_cid=mash-com-fb-main-link#TxgsrtlGcqqphttp://business.transworld.net/how-to/search-2016/#Q6ADwi4cFmi5C5LR.97http://lifehacker.com/what-its-like-to-interview-for-tech-jobs-1583412243http://web.jobvite.com/rs/703-ISJ-362/images/jobvite-infographics-with-impact-ebook.pdf http://www.quintcareers.com/job-reality-checks/https://www.ziprecruiter.com/blog/the-biggest-job-search-trends-for-2015/http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/inspiring-tips-statistics-job-seekers-2015/http://www.eremedia.com/ere/why-you-cant-get-a-job-recruiting-explained-by-the-numbers/https://careerenlightenment.com/top-10-job-search-predictions-for-2016http://executivecareerbrand.com/how-search-engine-optimization-seo-impacts-executive-job-search/http://insights.dice.com/report/three-trends-impacting-hiring-market/

Article Sources