Finding a Job in Today’s Digital Age
Default Author • May 6, 2016
Finding a Job in Today’s Digital Age
While most aspects of recruiting remain largely a manual process, we as recruiters are constantly looking for new tools and technology to use in our strategy. The recruiting industry as a whole is undergoing a shift away from the more traditional methods, and toward the technological and social realm. This has implications for you as a job seeker!
Of course, the same old standards apply during the recruitment process as they did 50 years ago, show up on time for your interview, dress appropriately, be prepared to answer questions and provide examples… and so on. But now that we are living and working in the digital age, this creates both an opportunity and a challenge for job seekers that didn’t exist for the previous generation. In other words, how you navigate the digital world can make or break your job search!
Develop your Personal Brand
You may not realise, but job hunting requires a lot of marketing on your part. Its commonplace now for employers to use social media to screen candidates in order to gain some insight into personality and fit. Take control of how potential employers may see you when they search your name; build and polish your personal brand online.
Use Social Media
We make a conscious effort to use social media, and so should you! Take the time to build up an online presence and develop your personal brand. But don’t just leave it there, be sure to keep your pages up to date – especially adding any new skills or experience on LinkedIn.
Follow people in your desired industry, including recruiters who specialise in recruiting for that industry. Be active in online conversations and use this to build real world, offline, relationships. When chatting to people at networking events, mentioning that you follow their twitter feed or enjoyed reading their latest blog post, can be a great conversation starter!
”Use online information to take intelligent offline action” Huffington Post
Read Blogs
There are so many blogs out there at your disposal! Reading blogs can provide new ideas and perspectives on your job search that you may not have even considered. Social Hire is a great blog for job seekers; not only has great info about finding employment but also is a resource for recruiters, which gives you an opportunity to see both sides of the coin.
More and more recruiters have their own blog, usually found on their websites. Check out any advice
they have for job seekers that may help you to stand out (see our blog next week for more!). Different recruiters may have different perspectives and preferences, which is helpful to know when sending in your application.
Finding a job in today’s digital age may mean having a strong online personal brand, being active on social media and keeping up with industry news, trends and conversations online…but definitely do not hide behind your keyboard! Enter real world conversations armed with online information, this is both the challenge and the opportunity. Do your research and appear the expert. If anything, it shows that you make an effort to stay current, keep up to date and have taken the time to get to know important people in your job application process!
Be sure to follow our Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages - we love talking to job seekers and are happy to help with any questions you may have!
Enhancing Recruitment with AI: Our Proven Approach
What is actually going on with the Construction & Property market in New Zealand at the moment?
Let's debunk a common misconception: the scarcity of candidates.