Many people want the resume dead – or they at least want to hold a funeral for it. It’s very sexy to proclaim the resume’s demise, and it brings major street cred.
But the truth is the resume is still an essential part of your job search. Job descriptions still tell you where to send or upload it. It’s a stimulant for conversations at every level.
But the rest is up to you. Resumes still matter, but they are not your primary tool for the job search anymore. They only jump-start the process. In fact, a resume alone does not give cause for an employer to call you. Recruiters and hiring managers will Google you first for more information – which is all the more reason for you to make sure Google points to your best profiles and work.
Those who obsess over tweaking it are overthinking it and its value.
Listen to Graduates, the Skills Gap is Real
What job search tactics provide more value than a resume alone? Here are 10:
1. Build a Personal Brand That Has Global Appeal
Your skills can be taught – in the classroom, online, or through coaching. However, no one can learn your personality. Your life experiences, trials, victories, and outlook are unique to you. Once you understand how your skills and personality mesh to make a viable marketing unit, then you can confidently conquer what’s yours.
2. Know Your Market Value
Negotiation is a constant fact of the job hunt, and everything is about your total compensation package. Think about your investment of time, travel to learn your skills, the value of the opportunity, and the process of perfecting your craft, and then research. There are many tools, articles, and books to help you determine your salary and market value.
3. Keep Lifestyle and Values in Mind
Consider options like remote work. Stop treating life as it were the obstacle to your ideal career. The happiest people are those who manage to wrap their careers around what matters to them most.
4. Deliver Content Where It Is Needed and Wanted
Too many job seekers move from job to job. If your goal is to take control of your career, then you have to create quality opportunities by providing content. The more recruiters and employers know about you, the more likely they will be to contact you about open roles. Providing content allows you to control the conversation by focusing it on your strengths and expertise.
Read Think Like a Consultant: Win at Today’s Job Search
5. Make Sure You Deliver Content Through the Right Channels
How you deliver content matters. You want to be top of mind. Consider posting on a personal website or via LinkedIn Pulse. You could even offer instructional videos on YouTube, Instagram, or Snapchat. Podcasts are also a way to provide raw, informative, and personable content to create engagement and visibility.
How you deliver content depends on where decision-makers in your industry are active. Use the channels they use.
6. Service Is the New Networking
You will be memorable when you offer genuine help to your network and meet people’s needs as best you can. The hardest part is doing that without expecting anything in return.
Remember that the people you are helping aren’t the only ones who benefit. Consider depositing goodness in the bank of karma as a viable and long-term career strategy.
7. Be Smart About Personal SEO
The importance of being found on Google is critical. Your social presence should trigger interest and intrigue in employers. Using tools such as Google Alerts, Talkwalker, and Google Analytics (if you have a website) can tell who is sharing or linking to your content. You can monitor your reputation and credibility to ensure your mentions are positive.
Listen to Why Your Interview Skills Suck
8. Be the Prescription to the Company’s Job Description
Job seekers who have a “remedy” mindset know the industry challenges at large and know the particular difficulties of potential employers. Engaging your network, industry news, and professional organizations create growth.
9. Set Up an Online Location to Serve as an ‘Epilogue’ to Your Resume
I am all for using LinkedIn as a place for content creation, but the optimal place I recommend is a blog. LinkedIn could go away, taking your content with it. A blog is where you have complete control over what people see and how much they see.
10. Persuade Through Social Proof
Networking and researching are essential when preparing your career documents and for interviews. Before almost any interaction today, both parties will use Google and forms of social proof to check the authenticity of the other party. You’re going to be Googled by someone you’re meeting for coffee or an interview. Do you think they’re just taking your word when you say you’re a “guru”?
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More and more, the Web is your resume. Your internet presence should expand on the skills and capabilities listed on your resume. The fewer employers see your work and know about you, the more you’re a liability. It’s better to craft your social profiles to tell a career story so employers and recruiters will want to know more.
This article originally appeared at Recruiter.com.
About Mark Anthony Dyson
I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers," career consultant, job seeker advocate, career writer, and founder of this award-winning blog. I help the employed, unemployed, underemployed, and under-appreciated find jobs using job search strategies to navigate the new job market. I aim to give a safe place online to those with different needs, cultures, and ethnicities to find their voice in the job market. Thousands have read my career advice throughout the web as I write about everything from job search strategies to the mobile job search. I have published more than 400 articles on this blog and some of the largest career sites such as Recruiter.com, YouTern, and Come Recommended. I've been quoted in major online publications such as Monster, TIME/Money, Fortune, Business Insider and MSN. FlexJobs, JobMonkey, Aerotek, Career Pivot, and CareerSherpa listed my podcast as one of the top podcasts to help your job search. Love for you to sign up for the weekly newsletter. I share the latest articles I've written, new podcast episodes, and answer any questions you may have. The new job search is scary and if you need help, I am here for it!