Career Seminar Shed Light on How to Stand Out in Your Job Search

This month, leading recruitment experts provided insight into today’s recruiting process and shared valuable tips for how to stand out from hundreds of competing job applicants. Knowing this, seminar participants can be better prepared to manage the career search for a new position.

We appreciated the time, preparation and valuable guidance from: Karen Basile, Director of Talent Management,VWR International, who moderated the panel, and panelists Lynn DiBonaventura, Organizational Development/Talent Management, VWR International; Adele Jacobs, Staffing Specialist, Monarch Staffing; and David Curry, President of Radnor Consulting.

If you missed the session, here are some key tips from the evening:

1. Much of the recruitment process is now automated, with computers scanning for keywords on applicants’ resumes. Make sure keywords on the job description also appear in your resume to maximize the odds that your resume gets through this screen. This may mean tweaking your resume to match each job you apply for.
2. If you have a gap in your resume – i.e. a period of time when you were not employed – don’t hide it. Instead, identify skills or experiences you gained in this period. For example, if you were taking care of a sick relative, did you learn to speak effectively with physicians or become an expert on the healthcare system? These might be valuable skills to a potential employer.
3. Hiring managers often check Facebook or LinkedIn if they like a candidate’s resume. Make sure your social media image is one you want a hiring company to see.
4. Network, network, network! A recommendation from a friend or acquaintance is likely to result in your resume getting serious consideration.
5. Searching for a job can be exhausting, even discouraging. Try your best to convey a positive image in your interviews – the kind of person people like to work with. Don’t be a victim. Make this your mantra: “I am going to get the right job for me.”