GSETA

Beyond the Resume

According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, some companies are beginning to forego the traditional resume, particularly for positions that require higher skill levels and thinking:

Companies are increasingly relying on social networks such as LinkedIn, video profiles and online quizzes to gauge candidates' suitability for a job. While most still request a résumé as part of the application package, some are bypassing the staid requirement altogether.

A résumé doesn't provide much depth about a candidate, says Christina Cacioppo, an associate at Union Square Ventures who blogs about the hiring process on the company's website and was herself hired after she compiled a profile comprising her personal blog, Twitter feed, LinkedIn profile, and links to social-media sites Delicious and Dopplr, which showed places where she had traveled.

Some other application techniques recruiters are using include:

• Requiring candidates to complete an online questionnaire that asks about things like "your ideal job" and "the best job you ever had."

• Posting a series of challenges on the company website that job seekers must respond to. This gives the company insight into their thought processes. 

• Asking candidates to submit videos describing their love of the company's products. 

• Having candidates complete sample work products for evaluation. 

While some companies are using these technique in conjunction with asking for a resume, a number are getting rid of the resume requirement altogether as they feel it doesn't give sufficient information about the candidate's skills and knowledge. 

In some cases, this can work to the candidate's advantage. One gaming company put 30 people through a 6-week program that required them to demonstrate their programming chops. Six candidates were hired, several of whom would not have made it past a resume screen. 

For One Stop Career Centers, it's important to know this information in advising job seekers. But it can also be helpful to advise local businesses of these new techniques, which many companies report nets them much higher quality applicants than more traditional strategies. 

Using Social Networks for Job Search: A Research-based Primer

Carnegie Mellon University has released research on job searching through social networks like LinkedIn that suggests better strategies for job seekers to use in finding job leads and converting them to interviews and job offers. The report is here.  

Overall, the research found that online job search efforts actually provided a greater return on time investment for job seekers than did using more traditional job search methods. 

Further, the report indicates that "weak ties" (acquaintances on social networks) were most helpful in helping to connect job seekers to job leads and "strong ties" (friends, family, former colleagues, etc) were most effective in converting leads into interviews and interviews into job offers. 

Suggested strategies for putting the report's findings to work for job seekers are below. 

1. Spend more time on the job search.

The report indicates that the average amount of time a job seeker spends in job search mode during the week is 20 hours, which is only half time. Job seekers would be well advised to increase the number of hours per week they put into their job search activities. 

2. Job seekers should first look to their networks to see what companies their contacts work at and target those companies when appropriate.

Because networks are so effective at providing better job leads, job seekers should first target those companies to which their contacts are connected. As new contacts are made, job seekers should continue to review company connections so they can add new targets to their lists. 

3. When a potential job lead is found, the job seeker should first check his/her network to see who can connect the job seeker to that company or job.

Job seekers should use these connections to get information on the hiring manager and other "insider" information. They should also see if it's possible for the connection to make an "online introduction" to the hiring manager, increasing the likelihood that the applicant will be noticed favorably. 

4. Job seekers should spend more time expanding their network of "weak ties."

 "Weak ties--friends of friends, acquaintances, etc. were most effective in helping job seekers identify job leads. For every additional weak tie added to the network, the job seekers sees a .25% increase in the number of job leads received.

Weak ties can be built up by joining industry, alumni and professional groups and then connecting to people in target companies,  by connecting with 2nd and 3rd level connections, and by connecting on LinkedIn with people met in real life. Job seekers should actively seek out new connections on a regular basis, as a standard part of their job search strategy. 

5. Job seekers should spend more time turning weak ties into strong ties.

Strong ties are most effective at helping job seekers turn job leads into interviws and job offers. They are most likely to more actively reach out on behalf of the job seeker, as opposed to weak ties who tend to merely pass along information. The CMU research found that for every strong tie created on LinkedIn, the job seeker received 2.5% more interviews. 

Job seekers can convert weak ties into strong ties by sharing valuable information and resources, making connections to help a weak tie solve a problem or address an issue, by answering questions and by increasing face-to-face contact if this is a viable option. Engaging appropriately with weak ties can provide them with information and "social capital" that makes them more likely to engage in active advocacy on behalf of the job seeker. 

Friday Link Round-Up

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Here are your links for the week. Enjoy!

• House Republicans Eliminate Job Training Funding (Again!)--Long, but useful article on how the House is attempting to cut $2.2 billion from WIA and Wagner-Peyer under the guise of shifting from a program to a fiscal year. 

• Best Places for One Stops--There's an interesting discussion happening in the NAWDP LinkedIn group on the best places for locating One Stops and ideas about virtual One Stops. You have to join the group to view it, but it's worth joining anyway. 

• Interviewing Applicants with Disabilities--Brief tips and resource links to share with employers. 

• DOLETA/ETA Region 1 Sponsoring Youth Conference in November--The emphasis is on collaborative partnerships and work/learn opportunities for youth. 

• 3 Types of Networks You Need--from the Harvard Business Review. 

• The Atomic Method of Creating a PowerPoint Presentation--some good, simple advice on how to prepare your next PowerPoint presentation. 

• 6 Most Violated Resume-Writing Rules--You are not the exception to the rule. . . 

Friday Link Round-Up

New Jersey's Youth Agenda

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Here's your first round-up of links for the Fall season. The summer went by WAY too quickly, didn't it?

• The Start-Up Daily--Great Ideas from Great Books--Each day this blog features a great idea/quote from a classic business book. This would be excellent information to share with your business customers, possibly in a daily email. 

• Manage Your Energy So You Can Manage Your Time--Some good advice on how to manage your time by taking advantage of your natural energy cycles. If you're not a morning person, don't try to get a lot of stuff done in the AM.

• That Was a Spectacular Fail!--Learning from failure is a key skill. This post includes some good resources and links for exploring this idea. 

• Generation X Stymied by Boomers--Apparently Boomers are staying in the workplace longer than expected, which is blocking and frustrating Gen X-ers who thought it was going to be their turn to run things. 

• The Poverty Crisis is Devastating Young Americans--Some VERY sobering statistics on how the recession and unemployment are disproprtionally impacting youth and African Americans. 

• Strategies for Managing the Boundaryless Career--For many people, the nature of work and careers has changed in profound ways. Here are some strategies for managing a career without boundaries. 

• 7 Easy Ways to Give Your Resume a Psychological Edge--It's all about influence. 

Friday Link Round-Up

Social Media for jobseekers

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As everyone returns to work after the 2011 GSETA Conference, here's your round-up of links for the week:

• Fact Sheet on the American Jobs Act--from the White House, this fact sheet lays out the major provisions in President Obama's proposed legislation.

• American Jobs Act Promotes Promising Models to Help Low-Skilled Adults Earn Post-Secondary Credentials--In a related link, this article from CLASP explores one of the American Jobs Act provisions. 

• What Hiring Managers Really Look For--some of the areas job seekers should be sure to emphasize in all their contacs with employers. 

• The Full Scope of America's Job Crisis in 17 Charts--some pretty sobering statistics here. 

• 5 Quick Ways to Organize a Presentation--ways to organize your slides based on the purpose of your presentation. 

• Can America's Jobless Fill America's Jobs?--Is widespread joblessness the result of a weak economy or does it signal a broader shift toward higher-skill work that may leave many Americans behind even as the economy recovers? 

• 4 Ways to Manage Your Online Reputation--some good advice on setting up a "clean name" and then promoting your professional persona for job search. 

Friday Link Round-Up

Social Media for jobseekers

View more presentations from James Mayes

As everyone returns to work after the 2011 GSETA Conference, here's your round-up of links for the week:

• Fact Sheet on the American Jobs Act--from the White House, this fact sheet lays out the major provisions in President Obama's proposed legislation.

• American Jobs Act Promotes Promising Models to Help Low-Skilled Adults Earn Post-Secondary Credentials--In a related link, this article from CLASP explores one of the American Jobs Act provisions. 

• What Hiring Managers Really Look For--some of the areas job seekers should be sure to emphasize in all their contacs with employers. 

• The Full Scope of America's Job Crisis in 17 Charts--some pretty sobering statistics here. 

• 5 Quick Ways to Organize a Presentation--ways to organize your slides based on the purpose of your presentation. 

• Can America's Jobless Fill America's Jobs?--Is widespread joblessness the result of a weak economy or does it signal a broader shift toward higher-skill work that may leave many Americans behind even as the economy recovers? 

• 4 Ways to Manage Your Online Reputation--some good advice on setting up a "clean name" and then promoting your professional persona for job search. 

Friday Link Round-Up

Top 5 Resume Questions Answered

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Here's your round-up of links for the week:

• Why Our Employment Figures are Wrong--Reuters points out that 1/3 of the workforce--the latest number believed to be employed as freelance/contingent workers--are not included in the BLS employment statistics. This has implications for policy and workforce development. 

• The Freelance Surge is the Industrial Revolution of Our Time--Joining Reuters, The Atlantic argues that we are seeing a huge shift to a freelance workforce that is changing how we work. 

• The PowerPoint Skillbuilder--filled with tutorials that teach you how to get the most out of PowerPoint. 

• 400 Free Online Courses from Universities--something for everyone here. 

• Guide to Doing Research Online--helpful suggestions here. 

• What Do Employers Mean When They Ask For a "Proven Ability?"--Ask-a-Manager responds. 

 

Friday Link Round-Up

LLC Webinar Series: Are you a Network Weaver?

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Here's your round-up of links for this last Friday in August. 

• 10 Psychological Techniques to Help You Get a New Job-"Hiring decisions are made on more than just skills and experience. It's also about gut feelings and instinctual reactions. All sorts of subtle psychological factors come into play; so here are ten techniques which can help you give the interviewer the feeling that you are the one."

• 10 Powerful Steps to Negotiating a Higher Salary--Another way to use the power of psychology. 

• This Space Intentionally Left White--The Harvard Business Review on why you need to set aside time in your week to think. 

• The Ultimate Cheat Sheet for Mastering LinkedIn--Job seekers AND staff should have this stuff mastered. 

• Gmail Ninja Tips--All job seekers should be using Gmail for their job search (here's why). These tips will turn them into Gmail Black Belts. 

• A Googly Job Search--Speaking of Google, here's how to run a Google-powered job search. 

• College Dropouts Cost the Economy Billions-According to a new study by the American Institutes for Research, college dropouts cost themselves and the economy at least $4.5 billion in lost earnings and federal and state income tax revenue every year.

• How Small and Midsize Businesses are Key to Growing the Economy--Is your WIB targeting small/mid-size businesses for services? Maybe they should, since these are the companies most likely to grow the economy. 

• Boomers Looking Younger for Job Search--Tips on how to be "appropriate, flattering and up-to-date" in clothes, hair, etc. 

• Overwhelmed by your "To Do List? How to Decide What to do Now--We can all use some help in prioritizing. 

Friday Link Round-Up

Virtually Speaking: Career Fairs Go Online

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Another Friday, another collection of links for you. . . 

• National Skills Coalition 2012 Budget Talking Points--to advocate for workforce development funding. 

• How to Get a Job at a Facebook Friend's Company--a step-by-step guide. 

• Social Media HR Toolbox--some good "how-to's" to share with employers on using social media for recruitment. 

• Anatomy of an Infographic: 5 Steps to Create a Powerful Visual--using infographics to communicate data and information can be far more compelling than any chart. This article outlines the basics for creating one. 

• How to Establish Yourself as an Expert on LInkedIn Questions and Answers--this can be a powerful way for One-Stops and WIBs to make employer connections and for job seekers to build their brands. 

Friday Link Round-Up

Here's this week's round-up of links:

• Jobvite Index Shows Hiring Patterns in LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter-"In the survey, we asked employers to report which networks they use for recruiting: 87% use LinkedIn for social recruiting (up from 78% last year), more than half (55%) use Facebook and 47% use Twitter. When asked ‘through which of these networks have you successfully hired?’ – a simple yes or no question – 95% said LinkedIn, 24% said Facebook and 16% said Twitter."

• The 12 Tell-Tale Signs You May be an "Old" Job Seeker--Lack of social media use, Times New Roman in your resume and an AOL email address are some of the dead giveaways. 

• 11 Helpful Sites for Job Seekers--some interesting ones here. 

• How to Use LinkedIn Groups to Build Relationships--in a nutshell, 1) get advice; 2) join discussions; 3) link to other members of the group. 

• Only 3 Things Impress Recruiters on a Resume--the right combination of skills and experience, the ability to present that information concisely and an easy-to-read format are the main things recruiters are looking for in a resume. 

• Turning a Temporary Position into a Full-time Job--some good tips here.