RESUME IS JOB NO.1
Tailor your CV to the open position
Perhaps your son or daughter has graduated but can’t find a first job.
It’s a common complaint among parents who have toiled to ensure their child gets a college degree, only to face apathy from potential employers.
Even though prospects are bright for new college graduates, some will have problems finding work because they make mistakes in their initial job search, such as writing wordy resumes, according a new study.
Often young graduates will take a scattershot approach in job searches, employment pros warn, with some sending out many resumes and receiving no response. Graduates often make common mistakes in formatting resumes that miss the first automated cut.
Those seeking a first job also need to particularize a job search, says the analysis.
“Tailor your résumé for each position so it contains keywords from a job descrip- tion,” according to the Robert Half paper, entitled “Notes for the Class of 2018.”
This will ensure that résumé scanning software keeps you in the job hunt, the paper says. And, if you have any personal connections to the company, list them.
“[Applicants] may fail to list relevant accomplishments near the beginning of a résumé,” said Keith Johnstone, with Peak Sales Recruiting.
“Too often we see candidates list work tasks instead of meaningful results,” he added.
Johnstone notes that grads sometimes omit achievements outside of work.
“Today’s top employers are looking for candidates who do not just bring the right skill set. They are looking for people who go above and beyond and give back to their communities and society,” Johnstone said.
“The graduate should be able to look at the company and say, ‘What have I done that would be beneficial to this company?’ ” she adds.
Johnstone says that showcasing volunteer work is an effective way for graduates to connect their existing experience to the company’s corporate values.
Graduates should also seek personal connections in any company they are applying to.
“Managers often prefer to hire candidates who are referred to them by people whose opinion they value,” says Abby Thomas, Manhattan branch manager for Robert Half.
Although most recent college graduates have been successful in becoming employed, or going on to graduate school, some recent graduates still have problems.
Eighty-one percent of 2016 bachelor’s degree graduates were either employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). However, 16 percent said they were still looking for work or further education, NACE said.
Newly minted B.A.s, the Robert Half study said, should think carefully before investing “substantial time and money in another degree.”
A certification might be better than another degree.
Nevertheless, the Class of 2018 will have some advantages. NACE says companies expect to hire 4 percent more graduates this year than in 2017.
The trend of higher employment, NACE wrote in its Job Outlook 2018 Survey, continues “to point to a positive job market for new college graduates.”