Kathleen Nolan has seen the ups and downs of the job market in her seven years as a recruiter, during which she estimates she’s interviewed thousands and hired hundreds.
These days, as a senior recruiter with GrowthLoop, she’s “busier than ever” helping the tech company grow its engineering and product departments. She could post an open role on a Thursday night and “easily wake up to 400 applications on a Friday morning,” just hours later, she tells CNBC Make It.
“People are definitely applying more, and I would say they are applying more aggressively,” Nolan, 39, says. “So when they see an open role, they’re jumping on it.”
As candidates stress about low hiring, mass layoffs and a potential recession, Nolan says she often has to console job seekers about the realities of the market.
“We are not in what I would consider to be a normal market,” Nolan says. “But of course, there are things we can do to put ourselves in the best possible light.”
The following are four tried-and-true pieces of advice that work in a normal job market and, despite today’s cut-throat landscape, can still help candidates stand out, Nolan says.
1. Make your resume outcomes-based
Recruiters often review hundreds of applications a day, so Nolan says it’s crucial to get your point across quickly and effectively.
“I love to see actionable outcomes,” she says. “I love to see not just how long you worked somewhere and what your job title was, but really, what did you do? What are some projects you’re proud of? What are some things that you initiated or took the lead on?”
What’s more, she says her most recent new hires all show a strong skill set and experience match with the new job.
If you can demonstrate on your resume that you’ve done the job you’re applying to before, or that your experience directly translates to what the new job will be, make sure that’s front and center.
2. Show off your personal branding on LinkedIn
Make sure your online professional presence makes a statement, Nolan says.
Applicants stand out when they have “any kind of personal branding, whether it’s a portfolio, a website, anything that you are putting out there in the world that says, ‘This is who I am.'”
Personalize your LinkedIn or other online website “to showcase you to the best of your abilities.”
Include an up-to-date photo to show you’re a real person, Nolan adds, and follow companies you’re interested in on LinkedIn. “Engaging with their content, networking with employees — it can create visibility before you apply.”
3. Network for referrals
Connections matter, maybe now more than ever.
“A referral is always going to be your best way in,” Nolan says. “If you have a friend who works with a company, if you know a hiring manager, if you know anyone who can provide some sort of warm introduction, it is a pretty surefire way of getting at least a toe in the door, if not your entire foot.”
A referral is always going to be your best way in.
The best thing to do is proactively build and nurture relationships before you ever need something. To that end, stay active on LinkedIn, attend industry events and check out alumni groups. Applicants who are connected to the organization through its people “tend to get to interviews a bit faster,” Nolan says.
4. Sharpen your interview skills
Landing an interview can feel like winning the lottery these days, so make it count.
Go in confidently by practicing with a friend or family member. Record your mock interview and note any improvements you could make, asking yourself the following:
- Did I sound confident?
- Was I rushing my answers?
- Did I actually answer the questions that were asked?
- Did I say the things that I wanted to hit on?
“The more confidence you have, the less nerves you’ll have and the better you will perform,” Nolan says.
Your interview can also show off the soft skills that hiring managers are craving, Nolan says, including adaptability, communication, problem solving, emotional intelligence and strong teamwork skills.
Staying open to new possibilities can sometimes lead to incredible opportunities, and your next role may surprise you if you let it.
“It’s not just about what you can do; it’s about who you are,” Nolan says. “You don’t have to be best friends with everybody you work with, but certainly having a warm and professional working relationship is going to be key to getting good work done.”
Ultimately, Nolan says, “I wish I had some sort of secret formula for getting your foot in the door, but I just don’t.” Executing standard job-searching advice to a T can still result in a frustrating experience.
To that point, Nolan urges candidates to avoid internalizing rejection: “There is nothing wrong with you.”
“The job market is not the same as it was a few years ago,” she says. “You need to prepare and adapt accordingly. Staying open to new possibilities can sometimes lead to incredible opportunities, and your next role may surprise you if you let it.”
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