Rico Aliers spoke about eTools for a Modern Job Search last Monday evening, which included using social media and what to put on your online application to get through the Applicant Tracking System.
Rico insisted that all job seekers must have some social media presence to be relevant to an employer. He feels that each job seeker should have a Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter account, as some companies only use social media to find candidates.
SHRM reported that 84% of companies use social proof, and Job-Hunt said of the employers they surveyed, 100% of them looked you up on social media before extending an offer.
If employers can’t find you on social media, they will assume you are not tech-savvy.
Employers look at three things when they are doing their social sleuthing:
- Your picture
- Your background or cover photo and
- Your introduction
Therefore, you need a professional quality photo, a cover photo that introduces you well (he suggested you have others in your life give you feedback on this), and good social media posts that represent you well.
According to Jobvite, the following percentage of recruiters are looking at your profile on these channels:
- 77% LinkedIn
- 63% Facebook
- 35% Twitter
- 25% Instagram
Social Media Recommendations
- Follow the companies you are interested in working for
- Interact with those companies by commenting, sharing, and reacting to their posts
- Fill out your profile entirely with a focus on your professional history
- Post your content and respond to other people’s posts
Rico’s Social Media Wrap-Up
- A majority of new jobs are not posted on web job boards; they are on social media channels and
- Networking on social media is the way to go, but it is not a quick fix. However, done well, it is the closest thing there is to shortcut your job search.
Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Advice
Rico emphasized that no one looks at resumes any longer as all of them are run through Applicant Tracking Software that produces a score. Therefore, the higher your score, the better opportunity you have to receive an interview.
Most ATS scan your resume + your application = a combined score.
The ATS is looking for keyword matches on your resume. Therefore, you must match the employer’s exact keywords on their posting to your resume, which means you will need to swizzle your resume every time.
On the application, you must fill out every field. If you leave a field blank, you will lose points.
You will lose points for these other common mistakes:
- If you timeout of the application process
- If you use abbreviations (even simple ones like st. or ave.)
- If you leave the salary field blank or put negotiable as ATS is looking for numbers, not letters
- If you put graphics or images on your resume. ATS can only read text, so if you have your photo or company logos on your resume, take them off as the system will take points away for having them
- ATS hates resume templates and will deduct points for the use of them
- Don’t use headers and footers on your resume as they cannot be read
- Steer clear of PDF and Word Documents, instead use Google Docs or Dropbox and share a link to your resume from here
Parting Thoughts on ATS
Applicant Tracking Systems are being used by more and more organizations, even small to medium-sized companies. Therefore, it’s essential to rank high, so your resume and application will be reviewed by an actual person.
Hudson Job Search Has Free Job Search Services
If you’d like, we have a free one-on-one coaching service to help with your job search process. Your coach will work with you to polish essential job search skills, including:
- Job Search Focus and Goal Setting
- Organizing Your Job Search
- Coaching and Moral Support
- Resume and Marketing Letter Writing
- PRADCO Assessments and Review
- Building and Exercising Your Network
- Interviewing Skills and Preparation
- Negotiating Compensation
- Closing the Offer
We offer comprehensive services to those that live or worship in Hudson, Ohio. However, we offer an abbreviated version of our services to all unemployed individuals who live in northeast Ohio.
