Klinsheet Consulting Limited

Today, high unemployment rates in the economy creates an overwhelming number of candidates searching for the available jobs. When the number of jobs available are limited, only the outstanding applicants will get the employment. Finding employment in any economy is a frightening task that demands time and energy, especially, in an underdeveloped or developing countries. However, if you’re residing in an area that is experiencing economic hardship or holocaust, most times, increasing your chances of employment may seem like an impossible feat.

With so many people searching for a job in the labour market, how can you drastically get your resume on the recruiter’s top file and increase your chances of getting an interview when the numbers are not stacked in your favour? The truth is, job opportunities are never nonexistent, they are only occasionally limited. If you are not successful at arriving at your desired job, then perhaps you are going about it the wrong way. Here are some of the ways you can increase your opportunity at finding the job you desire.

1. TELL THE TRUTH/HONESTY.

Honesty is on the top list because you discover every human tell a lie or two at different times in their lives. While some have lying as one of their hobbies, others lie unintentionally and sometimes, unconsciously. But while some lies can be overlooked, others can not be forgiven. Being honest is not exactly the kind of secret step that can push your resume like magic, to the top pile of a hiring manager no matter how colourful you make it look. Statistics shows that 58% of hiring managers have caught a lie on a resume during the recruit of new employees.

These days, applicants seems inclined to exaggerate the truth, whether it is something relatively harmless like fine-tuning the word of a job title or something grave like lying about a university degree. Either lie can make you ineligible from being considered because recruiters want to employ honest people with a good integrity into their organizations. Hence, the need to be truthful but if you choose to be a blatant liar, there is a high tendency of a background check being carried out to reveal your true nature. No matter how tempting it is, provide a resume with qualifications that can be easily proved.

2. CLEAN UP YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PROFILE.

Presently, social media has become one of the go-to tools for recruiters. The majority of job applicants have profiles on at least one of the leading networking sites. Hence, it makes sense that hiring managers would research prospective employees at those locations.

Sharing wild party pictures of may have been fun during your university days. But now, it is time to clean up your social media profiles. You never know who is checking them out; so ensure to make a scrutiny of your Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other sites you are in. This will help you avoid the wrong person snooping around to get such harmful details. Be sure to keep your social presence free of suspicious content and constantly update your social profiles with buzz phrases. This will keep your experience and information relatively current; because social media can also be a great platform to show off your working portfolio. One of the efficient ways to clean your social presence online is to make sure the information you provide on all your account corresponds and present a united front.

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Just as the social network creates room for the exhibition of nefarious acts; it presents great advantages to networking and many claim it to be the secret of success. Albeit, it is no secret that the idea of talking to strangers about something very crucial can be frightening. This is mostly because you may get different kinds of reactions. Productive networking can lead to not only securing a good job position, but a great network of lifelong contacts. Create a Facebook, or YouTube account(if you do not have one) specifically showcasing your previous achievements and interests.

Furthermore, you should update the details of the conferences you have attended, upload videos of your most successfully presentations; and generally share meaningful ideas with your contacts. Also, add links to your YouTube blogs enabling others you have invited have an easy access in commenting and developing discussions. Even if physically, you can not attend conferences and seminars; you can often chat in other online conference forums and share your ideas with others.

3. DO YOUR HOMEWORK/RESEARCH.

Background checks on social media reveals how the internet can reduce or damage your chances of being employed if you are not careful. Just as the web can reduce or damage your chances, it can also meaningfully improve your chances, and research is one of the simplest ways to reap these benefits. Thanks to modern technology, it is now easy to learn about the mission statements, current projects, initiatives, and generally more than the basics of different organizations, all in the internet. Ensure to do your homework by reading and making necessary enquiries about the organization in question before appearing for an interview. This helps and gives you confidence to know what you are talking about and prevents you from asking irrelevant questions that may turn your interviewer off.

Every hiring manager expects you to possess some knowledge of the company you intend seeking a job from. By exhibiting your knowledge about the company, you distinguish yourself from the pack as being passionate about the company’s business. Also, by making a prior research of the companies you intend attending an interview at, you will be able to determine in which of the companies your interest lies, as well as develop smart questions to present yourself as a serious candidate.

4. CUSTOMIZE YOUR RESUME.

Often times, job seekers send the same resume to every vacancy they apply for. This is a great mistake. An applicant will never be employed if it appears his/her experience and skills do not corresponds with what a recruiter is looking for. Ensure to read through a job posting you are interested in several times and properly assimilate it. If after assimilating it and you are confident you have what they are looking for, make sure your resume reflects it. Customization is key.

Do not be quick to submit your resume to any company without updating it to match the description of the job. Ensure to.

Update The Body Of Your Resume’s Cover Letter.

The body of your cover letter should be updated to include the name of the position you intend getting. Make a summarization of your previous working experience and how your background would supplement what the organization is hunting for as described in the job posting. Many employers concur that a cover letter presents the chance for an applicant to display their personality and passion for the job. A weak cover letter would lead you nowhere, ensure that yours clearly communicates your enthusiasm to get the job.

Include A Reference Letter

Including a reference letter with the resume you intend submitting distinguishes you from the other job seekers. It attracts your employer’s attention and improves your chances of securing a position in the proposed company. Ensure to get strong professional references from the people you worked for; and not the friends and colleagues you worked with. The applicant’s character is verified by the employer through these personal references. Therefore, it should exclude family members and close relatives. A tip from whom to get an ideal personal letter from apart from your bosses are your community; religious and educational leaders with whom you have an affiliation with.

Your resume is often the first impression a company has concerning you. This is then followed by how they perceive you in an interview. If the last time you updated your resume was before your last job, then it is time to boost it. It should contain your latest credentials, achievements and aspirations. This will make it relevant for the next job type you are seeking for. Also, attend seminars and surf online for good resume samples. Do not go overboard, keep it concise and precise, focusing on your skills or achievements over the past years. Recalling such accomplishments will encourage and help you build more confidence in your next employment.

5. RUN A PERSONAL BACKGROUND CHECK.

Every corporate organization try to carry out a proper background check before recruiting newbies into their organization. One may wonder and question why, but the truth is; no company would like to suffer a setback because of an employee with a stained record. With a few exceptions, depending on the kind of organization you are recruited into; you would most likely have to undergo and pass a criminal background check before you can be successfully employed.

Even if your record appears clean, it is highly important you run a personal background check before attending any interview. This would help you avoid having embarrassments or receiving the shock of your life. It is possible for someone somewhere to have mistakenly filed a criminal conviction to your record at some point in the past; even if you operate on a clean slate. Therefore, it is highly necessary to find and resolve such issues before it gets into the hands of your potential employer.

We live in a society where most people are afraid of being different, afraid of creating impact. Hence, these people fail to showcase their peculiar qualities. Nonetheless, in this jobless era; only the bold few will increase their chances of employment provided they put into consideration the above-listed steps.

 

Dipo Umoru

dipo@klinsheet.com

07014636348

Verification Consultant – Klinsheet Consulting