How To Get Noticed in 2025
The Metamorphosis of Job Hunting and Hiring Practices
Christopher Winter
Talent Acquisition at Voyant Beauty
?
For those who have been dealing with the frustration of not getting noticed, the pain is real. There has been a seismic shift in the world of recruitment. Here are some necessary tools to navigate through the murky waters of the job hunt. ?
?
The Resume
Your greatest asset or anchor is your resume. The most common question I get asked is ‘how does my resume look?’ My answer each and every time is, it doesn’t matter what I think, it matters what the Hiring Manager thinks. Resumes are subjective. Many career experts offer ‘advice’ that those who are noticed are the ones that will secure the interview. This is partially true but one needs to remember that getting noticed can be a positive or a negative.
In my lifetime, I have reviewed hundreds of thousands of resumes. What do you think stands out after reviewing all these? The ones I remember are the ones that scream desperation. Adding tulips and rainbows, Glamour Shots, heart emoji’s, extreme colors and fonts are NOT the answer to getting noticed in a positive way. My advice? Create a resume that looks professional with a standard format. Your resume should contain clear and concise information and the content should be short and to the point. Use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation. I know many of my colleagues would even discard a resume if there was a spelling mistake! Personally, I am not that extreme as casting the recruiting net has become global and many are in the process of learning the language. If English is not your fist language, be proactive and have someone proofread it. ?Give yourself the best chance to be noticed for the right reason.
Here is a reality in today’s world. Because of technology, submitting your resume has never been easier. Gone are the ‘check the fax machine’ days. Welcome to the ‘you have 1045 applications in your inbox.’ The important thing to note is that Talent Aquisisiton Specialists will sometimes receive an exorbitant number of resumes. Your resume needs to be easy to navigate and the skills and experiences need to be at the forefront of the resume. If I am hiring an Industrial Engineer for example, and an application does not have that somewhere in the Skills and Experience part, I am moving on to the next application. If burdened with a high number of resumes and an equally high number of requisitions, most TA professionals will hastily read the resumes to find what they are looking for and then create a short list of qualified candidates. Sometimes, if they find what they need in the first 50, the remaining applications are either filed away for later or even discarded.
Always note that the ‘buzz words’ that are in the job description need to be somewhere on your resume. This is also important as AI will now sort, and parse resumes according to certain words so do yourself a favor and give yourself ample opportunity to stay out of the discard pile!
Are Cover Letters necessary? Some may not agree with this, but Cover Letters are so 80’s, just like shoulder pads, mullets, and Cindy Lauper. I have not read a Cover Letter in years. When sifting through numerous resumes, we just do not have the time. Hiring Managers need us to find someone yesterday and we need to sift through a vast amount of data in a short period of time. Usually, the information shared in Cover Letters can be discovered in a prescreen conversation or interview or more importantly, can be showcased in the actual resume.
?
Networking
Technology is a wonderful thing and for those job seekers who want to have the best chance of landing their dream job, leveraging technology will give you a greater chance of getting noticed. The days of pounding the pavement and handing over a resume are gone. In my current role, I receive numerous job seekers who knock on the door and think by doing so, they have an immediate opportunity to get a job interview. While this method is applauded as it shows initiative and I do have the utmost respect for someone who comes with resume in hand during a hailstorm or having to trudge through 8 feet of snow to reach the entrance. In today’s world, most TA professionals allocate time for interviews and often create schedules to ensure all requisitions receive touches. Sometimes arriving unannounced can be a negative as it interrupts the flow and schedule of the person in charge of hiring. What is a more affective alternative? Networking and research!! If you are job hunting and notice a desirable career opportunity, research the company. Find out what they do and how they do it. The more you know, the better off you will be. The next step is finding out who the person is that may be making the hiring decision. My recommendation is LinkedIn. Most hiring professionals are on LinkedIn and one can even search specific job titles within the company. Solicitation on LinkedIn is not ideal but reaching out for a connection and sending a short message indicating your interest is not a bad thing! There is truth to the adage that it is who you know, not necessarily what you know. Even if you are content in your current role, networking should be a daily practice as knowing more people is never a bad thing.
?
领英推荐
Interview Prep
Preparing for an interview is thee most important step in your job-finding journey. I cannot tell you how disappointed I am at times when I bring someone in for an interview and they cannot answer basic questions about the role itself or the company they have applied to. This shows a complete disregard for my time and tells me that this candidate shows little interest as they did not do their homework. I am just going to scratch the surface on this topic as I could write a book on what you should or shouldn’t do in an interview.
An acronym a former Manager once preached to me was remember your ABP’s. Always Be Prepared. You need to know everything in the job description and how to relate your skills and experience to the opportunity you are interviewing for! Interviews are sales appointments. The most important thing to remember is that you are there to sell yourself! Go old school and prior to your interview, sit down with paper (the white fiber smooth rectangles that can be found in most office supply stores) and a pen (the stick like things that have a point at the end that one can use to write things down). Jot down some points you want to make during your interview. Some call it an elevator speech but one does not have to create such an elaborate presentation. If you are anything like me, I learn visually so if I see it, I am more likely to remember it. Write down points that you want to showcase as they relate to the job and the company. Make sure that you are selling your skills and abilities and add some color to what you have done and what you can do. Adding factual information and data is ideal, as long as you can back that up. You do not know the level of competition and how many others are competing for this role but by doing your due diligence, you will have a leg up on others that have been shortlisted.
?
Follow Up
I often get asked, ‘how important is follow up?’ I can say with certainty that it is extremely important and doing so may augment your chances of getting the job. Personally, as a TA professional, if I have someone on my shortlist and I subsequently receive a follow up call from that candidate, whether it be an email, voicemail etc. I know that this candidate is serious about the opportunity, and it speaks volumes about their interest. Being ‘ghosted’ is now part of the recruiting fabric but if a candidate follows up, it is less likely that they will disappear without a trace. Following up could potentially indicate loyalty and dependability, both qualities that every Hiring Manager looks for. There is a right way and a wrong way to do this. The follow-up should be as follows.
·??????? Submit Application= one message to confirm receipt and interest
·??????? Post Interview= one call/email, thanking the interviewee for their time and the opportunity to be considered for the role.
That is it. I know in today’s immediate gratification world, waiting is a verb that has little action but after your interview and follow up, the best course of action is to hurry up and wait. You have done all you can do, and it is likely that the decision to move forward with your candidacy has already been made. Do not pester the interviewer with multiple messages and phone calls. They do not need to be reminded at this point that you are interested, and it looks unprofessional and desperate.
?
Navigating the twists, turns and pitfalls of disappointment when searching for employment can be discouraging. Just remember that you reap what you sow, and your dream job awaits!
?
Christopher Winter
Talent Acquisition Professional
Toronto Canada