13-1 harnessing technology in today’s Challenging Job Market

13-1a Using Technology in Your Job Search

 Technology is an integral part of the job-search process. Nearly every job
hunter today has at least one mobile device, and an overwhelming number
of apps on them. You can download apps to plan your career, manage the
job hunt, scour multiple job boards, receive instant job alerts, and arrange
lunch dates to network and meet others in your field. Working from a
smartphone, you can create, store, and send a résumé as soon as a
promising opening pops up.
Organizations Rely on Technology. Beyond mobile devices, technology has
greatly affected the way organizations announce jobs, select candidates,
screen résumés, and conduct interviews. Companies of all sizes now employ
AI-enabled applicant tracking systems (ATS) to automatically post openings,
select résumés, rank candidates, and generate interview requests.
Has Technology Killed the Résumé? The résumé is still important, but it may
not be the document that introduces you as a job seeker. Instead, the résumé
may come only after you have established a virtual or face-to-face
relationship. What’s more, chances are that your résumé and cover letter will
be read digitally rather than in print. However, although some attention-
grabbing publications scream that the print résumé is dead, the truth is that every
job hunter needs one. Whether offered online or in print, your résumé should be
always available and current.
13-1b Starting Your Job Search With Self-Analysis
o The first step in a job search is analyzing your interests and goals and
evaluating your qualifications. This means looking inside yourself to
explore what you like and dislike so that you can make good employment
choices.
13-1c Evaluating Your Qualifications
o Once you have analyzed your interests and goals, it’s time to take a hard
look at your qualifications.
13-1d Preparing for Career Opportunities
o In the past workers expected to develop skills and remain in their careers
for life. Today, reskilling, that is, continuous education and (re)training, is
required to remain relevant and employable. Because you can expect to
hold numerous jobs in your future, now is the time to explore career
opportunities so that you can make the best decisions when job
possibilities arise.
Where can you find the best career data? Here are some suggestions:
 ■ Visit your campus career center
 ■ Search for career apps.
 ■ Check government data in your library and online.
 ■ Take a summer job, internship, or part-time position in your field.
  ■ Interview someone in your chosen field.
 ■ Volunteer with a nonprofit organization.
 ■ Monitor classified ads.
13-2 exploring the Open Job Market
13-2a Surveying the Big Boards and Beyond
- Four Top Job Sites.
■ Indeed
■ CareerBuilder
■ Monster
■ CollegeRecruiter
- Niche Sites for Specialized Fields.
- Company Websites for the Best Leads.
- Newspapers, Career Fairs, and Other Sources.
13-2b Gaining an Edge With Mobile Apps
13-3 unlocking the hidden Job Market
Not all available positions are announced or advertised in the open job market.
As mentioned earlier, between 50 and 80 percent of jobs are estimated to be in
the hidden job market. Companies prefer to avoid publicizing job
announcements widely for many reasons. They don’t welcome a deluge of
unqualified candidates. What’s more, companies dislike hiring unknown
quantities.
13-3a Building a Personal Network
Step 1. Develop a contact list.
Step 2. Make contacts in person and online.
Step 3. Follow up on your referrals.
13-3b Searching for Jobs on Social Media
- Letting LinkedIn Help You Find a Job.
- What About Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram?
13-3c Building Your Personal Brand
o Personal branding involves deciding what makes you special and
desirable in the job market. What is your unique selling point? What
special skill set or trait makes you stand out among all job applicants?
What would your instructors or employers say is your greatest strength?
Think about your intended audience. What are you promoting about
yourself?
o Experts suggest that you create a tagline that describes what you do, who
you are, and what’s special about you.
13-4 Customizing Your résumé
o The competition is so stiff today that you cannot get by with a generic,
one-size-fits-all résumé. Although you can start with a basic résumé, you
should customize it to fit each company and position if you want to stand
out from the crowd.
13-4a Selecting a Résumé Style
 - What Is a Chronological Résumé? The most popular résumé format is the
chronological format. The chronological résumé lists work history job by
job but in reverse order, starting with the most recent position.
o Recruiters favor the chronological format because they are familiar
with it and because it quickly reveals a candidate’s education and
experience. The chronological style works well for candidates who
have experience in their field of employment and for those who
show steady career growth, but it is less helpful for people who
have changed jobs frequently or who have gaps in their
employment records.
o For college students and others who lack extensive experience, the
functional résumé format may be preferable.
- What Is a Functional Résumé? The functional résumé, focuses on a
candidate’s skills rather than on past employment.
o Like a chronological résumé, a functional résumé begins with the
candidate’s name, contact information, job objective, and
education. Instead of listing jobs, though, the functional résumé
groups skills and accomplishments in special categories.
o This résumé style highlights accomplishments and can de-
emphasize a negative employment history.
o Workers who have changed jobs frequently, who have gaps in their
employment records, or who are entering an entirely different field
may prefer the functional résumé. Recent graduates with little or no
related employment experience often find the functional résumé
useful. Older job seekers who want to downplay a long job history
and job hunters who are afraid of appearing overqualified may also
prefer the functional format.
13-4b How Long Should a Résumé Be?
Recruiters who are serious about candidates often prefer the kind of details that
can be provided in a two-page or longer résumé. What’s more, with today’s
digital résumés, page length is no longer restricted. The best advice is to make
your résumé as long as needed to present your skills to recruiters and hiring
managers.
13-4c Organizing Your Information Into Effective Résumé Categories
- Résumé Header With Contact Information.
- Career Objective or Job Title.
- Optional Summary of Qualifications.
- Education.
- Work Experience or Employment History.
- Capabilities and Skills.
- Awards, Honors, and Activities.
- Personal Data.
 - Including References—Yes or No?
13-4d Creating a LinkedIn Profile
- Professional Headline.
- Photo.
- Profile.
- Recommendations.
13-4e Perfecting Your Résumé and Keeping It Honest
As you continue to work on your résumé, look for ways to improve it.
13-4f Proofreading Your Résumé
- After revising your résumé, you must proofread, proofread, and proofread
again for spelling, grammar, mechanics, content, and format. Then have a
knowledgeable friend or relative proofread it yet again. This is one
document that must be perfect. Because the job market is so competitive,
one typo, one misspelled word, or a single grammatical error could
eliminate you from consideration.
13-5 using Digital tools to Fine-tune Your Job Search
13-5a Maximizing the Rank of Your Résumé
The following techniques, in addition to those cited earlier, can boost the
probability that your résumé will rank high enough to qualify for review by a
human reader.
■ Include job-specific keywords or keyword phrases
in context.
■ Focus on nouns.
■ Use variations of the job title.
■ Concentrate on the Skills section.
■ Keep the formatting simple.
■ Use conventional headings

13-5b Showcasing Your Qualifications in a Career E-Portfolio

What Goes in a Career E-Portfolio? A professional e-portfolio may include a
copy of your career-specific résumé, reference letters, commendations for
special achievements, awards, certificates, work samples, a complete list of your
courses, thank-you letters, and other items that tout your accomplishments.
o An e-portfolio could also provide links to digital copies of your artwork,
film projects, videos, blueprints, documents, photographs, multimedia
files, and blog entries that might otherwise be difficult to share with
potential employers.
How Are E-Portfolios Accessed? Some colleges and universities make space
available on their learning management systems to host student e-portfolios. In
addition, academic institutions may offer instruction and resources for editing
video, digitizing images, and preparing graphics.
13-5c Expanding Your Employment Chances With a Video Résumé
 o In making a video résumé, dress professionally in business attire, just as
you would for an in-person interview. Keep your video to three minutes
or less. Explain why you would be a good employee and what you can do
for the company that hires you.
13-5d How Many Résumés and What Format?
- Preparing a Basic Print-Based Résumé.
- Creating a Plain-Text Résumé for Electronic Submission.
13-5e Submitting Your Résumé
Most organizations request one of the following submission formats:
■ Word document. Some organizations ask candidates to send their résumés
and cover letters in hard copy by surface mail. Others request that résumés be
submitted as Word documents attached to e-mail messages, despite the fear of
viruses.
■ Plain-text document. As discussed earlier, some employers expect applicants
to submit résumés and cover letters as plain-text documents. This format is also
widely used for posting to online job boards or for sending by e-mail. Plain-text
résumés may be embedded within or attached to e-mail messages.
■ PDF document. For safety reasons some employers prefer PDF (portable
document format) files. A PDF résumé looks exactly like the original and cannot
be altered easily. Converting your résumé from Word can be easily done by
saving it as a PDF file, which preserves all formatting.
■ Company database. Larger businesses and government organizations may
prefer that you complete an online form with your résumé information. This
enables them to plug your data into their template categories for rapid searching.
You might be able to cut and paste the information from your plain-text résumé
into the form.
13-6 Cover Letters—Do they Still Matter?
13-6a Creating a Customized Cover Letter
Gaining Attention in the Opening.
Openings for Solicited Jobs. When applying for a job that has been announced,
consider some of the following techniques to open your cover letter:
■ Refer to the name of an employee in the company.
■ Refer to the source of your information precisely.
■ Refer to the job title, and describe how your qualifications fit the
requirements
Openings for Unsolicited Jobs. If you are unsure whether a position actually
exists, you might use a more persuasive opening. Because your goal is to
convince the hiring manager to read on, try one of the following techniques:
■ Demonstrate an interest in and knowledge of the reader’s business.
■ Show how your special talents and background will benefit the company.
13-6b Promoting Your Strengths in the Message Body
13-6c Motivating Action in the Closing
- After presenting your case, you should conclude by asking confidently for
an interview.
 - Don’t ask for the job. To do so would be presumptuous and naïve.
- In requesting an interview, you might suggest reader benefits or review
your strongest points. Sound sincere and appreciative.
- Remember to make it easy for the reader to respond by supplying your
telephone number and the best times to call you.
- In addition, keep in mind that some hiring officers prefer that you take the
initiative to call them.
- Avoid expressions such as I hope, which weaken your closing.
13-6d Sending Your Résumé and Cover Letter
 ■ Send a short e-mail with both your cover letter and résumé attached (as
a PDF preferably, to preserve your formatting).
 ■ Send your cover letter as an e-mail and attach only your résumé (as
PDF, Word document, or plain text).
 ■ Submit both your cover letter and résumé by pasting them into the body
of an e-mail. Convert both to plain text with minimal formatting first, as
described earlier.
 ■ Print your cover letter and résumé on quality stationary and send them
by
 U.S. mail.
13-6e Final Tips for Successful Cover Letters
- you can reduce “I” domination with a number of thoughtful techniques.
Make activities and outcomes, and not yourself, the subjects of sentences.
Sometimes you can avoid “I” domination by focusing on the “you” view.
Another way to avoid starting sentences with I is to move phrases from
within the sentence to the beginning.
- Strive for a comfortable style. In your effort to avoid sounding self-
centered, don’t write unnaturally.
- Like your résumé, your cover letter must look professional and suggest
quality.