It’s a holiday week in both Canada and the USA, so we’re only posting once and giving you a chance to catch up on your reading if you are among the many people away from the office. In case you missed them the first time around, here are our top recruitment blogs of the year to date:
Three Reasons Why You’re Not Getting Interviews: How to Create an ATS-Friendly Resume Automation has made it more difficult for job seekers’ resumes to be seen by the proper hiring authorities. Applicant tracking systems (ATS) “read” resumes looking for keywords. If your resume doesn’t include the right words and the right formatting for machine-reading, it’s very possible you’ll be overlooked. This post includes tips for how to create a resume that will be “seen” and hopefully lead to more interviews!
The Number 1 Thing to Do in an Interview You might be surprised to learn that remembering to SMILE is the best thing you can do in a job interview. A friendly smile helps you exude confidence, along with interest in and passion for the job. Candidates who don’t smile can come across as unfriendly. The interviewer may have difficulty seeing how that person would fit into the team or the overall organization. While you’re practicing your interview questions, practice a genuine, warm smile at the same time!
What Happens if You Receive a Counteroffer? In this market, counteroffers are happening regularly. Job seekers should assume they will receive one. It’s wise to prepare for this likelihood in advance. Understand the full cash value of your new offer. Understand what makes you unhappy in your current position and whether those issues will be solved with more money. (Hint: The answer is usually no.)
Is the Cover Letter Dead? This is a topic of great debate in the recruitment community. In fact, many recruiters do NOT spend time reading or reviewing cover letters. HOWEVER, you should still write one because HR professionals and hiring authorities DO expect to see them. Your cover letter helps show your interest in a position. It communicates that you understand the particular job, and that you are not simply blasting your resume to every employer under the sun.
It’s interesting to note that our top recruitment blogs of the year so far are all job seeker-related. If you’re a recruiter, please feel free to share this information with the candidates you represent. If you’re a job seeker, I hope these posts offer valuable assistance in your career search.