The following is a guest post from Jenny Foss. Jenny operates a nationally recognized recruiting firm and is creator of JobJenny.com. Your job search BFF and tough love expert on finding career passion, Jenny recently launched a Ridiculously Awesome Resume Service. You may also find Jenny on Twitter @JobJenny. I love the following post because Jenny represents 100% what I believe, that in order to thrive in today’s job-market, you need to embrace new-school tools and remember your old-school roots. Read on for more…you’ll be glad you did.
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Dear Job Seekers,
Before I venture off into my main topic, do allow me to offer up a very obvious message:
Old, passive search methods alone just won’t cut it in today’s job market.
If your current search strategy involves little more than posting a resume on Monster.com, firing off applications to a couple of blind mailboxes and dialing up a recruiter to “get on the case?”
Strap yourself in. It’s gonna be a long haul.
The game has changed, folks. Dramatically vs. even two or three years ago. If you want some assurance of landing a worthwhile gig – in a timely fashion – today? You’ve got to incorporate active, “guerilla” tactics into the mix.
Tactics that, generally speaking, involve social media.
Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, and personal websites are driving huge dream job results for people. Don’t believe me? Just pop over to Marian Schembari’s site and check out her Facebook success story. Or take a look at Jason Zimdar’s personal website/cover letter that landed him an amazing job at 37signals.
There now.
But what about the resume? Do people still need a resume?
Two very good questions, and ones that are creating considerable debate among HR, recruiting and social media types. The major “pot stir,” it seems is this:
Some job search and social media experts are running about crying that the classic resume will soon (or already has) become an irrelevant, passé dinosaur.
ERRRRRRkkk (That’s my best brakes sound).
Dinosaur??
This friends, is where I will step on in and argue. As huge of a proponent as I am about the necessity of social media tactics in a job search, let me be very clear:
Resumes are not dead. And they won’t be anytime soon.
Regardless of the mass creativity we’re seeing among job seekers today – which is especially marked among GenY talent that grew up whizzing around on the Internet – Corporate America is still, well, mighty corporate and traditional in many sectors. Leaders and decision makers in several pockets of industry still consider weeding through a stack of resumes a mandatory part of the hiring process. They’re still looking for the one who shines on paper, so they may invite them in to see if they shine in real life.
You may have a Linkedin profile or search-focused personal blog that’s beyond sweet. But if the boss at your dream employer has no clue what a tweet or a hashtag or a status update even is? Frankly, it will have almost zero bearing on whether dream employer hires you or not.
For reals.
So. The point…
For heavens sakes, don’t abandon creative and strategic search tactics that leverage the massive power of social media. Truly, this will give you a key advantage in today’s crap-ola job market. Just please, pretty please, refuse to believe it when someone says “Resumes are Dead.”
You need a clear, accomplishment driven, simply formatted resume. It’s still your most important marketing document, and it will help you land an interview. (You will, of course, kill it from there.)
So go get ‘em, job seeker. (Oh, and let me know if you need some help on the paperwork!)