A new CareerBuilder study looks into what companies are looking for when they are hiring and how job seekers can increase their chances of landing a job.
For many job seekers, there’s nothing more discouraging than spending hours finessing your resume, crafting the perfectly worded cover letter, and filling out that tedious online application (Seriously? I just uploaded my resume, and I still have to fill in my entire work experience? IT MAKES NO SENSE!) – only to never hear anything back. What gives?
Well, employers are jerks a new study from CareerBuilder may offer some insight. More than 1,500 recruiters and hiring managers nationwide participated in a recent survey to determine what companies are looking for when they’re hiring, their biggest frustrations during the hiring process and what job seekers can do to increase their chances of being seen.
Be more than your resume
Just over half of employers surveyed (53 percent) say resumes do not provide enough information for them to accurately make an initial decision whether or not someone is a good fit for the job. (Perhaps that’s why so many employers are researching candidates on social media, according to an earlier CareerBuilder study.)
But here’s where you can help them fill in the gaps: In addition to a resume, 39 percent of employers say they want to see examples of work the candidate has done or an online portfolio (you can provide a URL to your portfolio or personal website in your resume), and 29 percent want a cover letter.
Another interesting finding? Nearly half of employers (48 percent) reach out directly to job seekers when they have an opening – all the more reason to build your personal brand through your resume, cover letters, online portfolio or personal website and social media presence. When you cover these bases, you can cut your job search efforts in half by increasing the chances of employers finding and approaching you.