The Outdated Job Seeker Part 3

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Table Of Contents

Oh yeah, if days 1 and 2 weren't enough for you we've got more ways you might be an outdated job seeker. Today is a plethora of reasons from several submissions we got.

You might be an outdated job seeker if...

If you're...still using a career objective on your resume. Even if you have a varied work experience a Summary of Qualifications is a better option to woo a recruiter. They're looking for what you have more than what you want as what you want should be explainable from your work experience.

From Joe Flanagan, Senior Resume Consultant at Velvet Jobs

You are using a one-size-fits-all resume to apply online for postings. In this economy, supply of qualified workers outstrips demand from employers who now get hundreds, sometimes thousands, of resumes for each posting. They do not have the HR tools or resources to look at each resume that comes in. They look at the first 25-50, or if they use scanning software, they sort according to keywords.

In either case, your resume has to conform to current resume conventions that make it easy for employers to match your experience & credentials to their requirements. This means that your resume must be customized the posting and presented in such a way that it hits a reader right between the eyes with your value proposition!

From George Dutch,

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You might be an outdated job seeker if you only have one resume that's set in stone and you don't customize.

You might be an outdated job seeker if you don't do your homework and research the company thoroughly.

You might be an outdated job seeker if you don't leverage your in-person and LinkedIn network.

You might be an outdated job seeker if you don't monitor, manage, and sanitize your online presence.

From Amy Cohen, Career Coach

You are an outdated job seeker if...you are “shotgun distributing” your resume with a cover letter addressed to “To Whom It May Concern.”

From George Brownstein, Job search coach

You might be an outdated job seeker if you even consider mailing or faxing your resume, for any reason. Honestly, why not send it by carrier pigeon, too? Up to 90% of US employers use an ATS (applicant tracking system) and/or LinkedIn, meaning they don't even have a way to store or access your resume unless it's a digital file submitted online. Even email submissions are becoming rare.

You might be an outdated job seeker (YMBAOJS) if you spend a lot of time trying to circumvent the ATS (applicant tracking system.) Instead, think of this technology as a tool you can leverage to help you select only the employers and jobs that are the best fit for your interests, personality and expertise.

YMBAOJS if you don't keyword-optimize your resume to perform well in ATS, or hire a professional resume writer who does it for you.

From Joni Holderman, Thrive! Resumes