Davido's blog

If you find yourself returning to the job market after a lengthy absence, odds are you’re one of millions that isn’t yet prepared for 21st century job hunting. In a dramatic departure from the country’s last recession in 2001, physical networking, social media networking tools, and transitional volunteerism (largely from contacts gained utilizing the former) are at an all-time high.

It was once thought of as a suicide mission to use an online resume for anything other than a strictly creative profession. Conventional wisdom held that boomer recruiters would find the practice distasteful and discriminate against job seekers who chose to utilize such “extreme” measures. In such a turbulent macroeconomic environment, though, this trend seems to be changing. However, the reason for this shift is typically not that recruiters have become more open minded.

The Class of 2010 is in trouble. Facing one of the worst job markets in the country’s history, students find themselves working minimum-wage retail jobs to make ends meet, competing for unpaid internships with industry veterans looking to launch new careers, and even coping with the loss of their health insurance following the end of their full-time student status. Indeed, it’s a jungle out there. Such a reality, then, makes a uniquely tailored resume all the more important.

It’s been said that the average recruiter spends ten seconds reviewing each resume they receive, mercilessly judging candidates on everything from their location and resume style to the length of time between relevant experiences for the position. Quite often, candidates are eliminated before they even reach the critical stage of selling themselves in a one-on-one setting. How, then, does the average job seeker get their resume past the initial cut and through to the interview stage?

You can make a great video for your online resumes without professional equipment by paying attention to details such as background, lighting, sound and how to present yourself. Here are some tips:

What To Say
Your video resume should include a general description of your work history that emphasizes your skills and qualifications for the job you are seeking. It’s a good idea to avoid explaining where you're from or how many pets you have. Instead, focus on things you have learned in previous job roles and how those lessons will be applied to future work situations, specifically the job you're making the video for.

Applying for a job through an online application may be simple to do, but it poses a great challenge for the job-seeker looking to get their resume noticed. In an effort to decrease the number of physical applications that hiring managers need to look through, companies have turned to the internet to complete the first step of the hiring process for them. Online applications ensure that all resumes look the same, and thus it may seem as if your ability to sell yourself in an outstanding way is eliminated. However, this can be easily overcome by following a few simple and creative tips.

In the current job market, it seems as if everyone is looking for employment. Sending your resume into potential employers is the first step, but how can you ensure that you are one of the applicants selected for an interview? You know that you would make a superb employee—the challenge is to ensure that the hiring manager sees this. Accomplishing this through lying is never the answer; social networking and technology almost guarantee lies will be caught. Your resume should present you in the most optimal light for a specific position.

Let’s face it: Most people wouldn’t be too upset if they never had to create another resume in their life. Job seeking is a reality, though, so as long as there will be companies that hire, fire, close and evolve, resumes will remain an essential element of being employed. Because job seekers are often busy with many other aspects of life, it can be easy to neglect considering ways to make a resume as powerful and attention-getting as possible, leading to an end product that could very likely end up sitting unread in a stack of nearly-identical documents.

It’s true that everyone makes mistakes, but making them on your resume can have drastic consequences. There’s perhaps no better time to be meticulous and detail-oriented than while drafting your resume. After all, it’s the first impression a potential employer gets of you. You might be well-spoken and a perfectly capable speller, but if you make a careless typing slip-up on your resume that won’t matter much to an HR professional. They’ll simply think you either don’t know how to spell or don’t have the good sense to review your resume for mistakes.