It’s your network and your relationships that count most
➔ The 21st Century has ushered in a whole new cadre of job search tools and techniques – most of which could not even been imagined by our predecessors. Many are beneficial, but many are not.
Those that are not can consume valuable job-search time and leave the job seeker frustrated and depressed… or worse. For many, the online jobs boards are not much more than a source of futility and false hope. Submit your resume to a posting on an online jobs board and you become one of as many as hundreds of applicants in search of one job. The odds do not favor the job seeker.
Of course there is a bright side
Despite the doom and gloom, there is good news for the 21st Century job seeker.
One aspect of job seeking that has not changed dramatically is the importance of relationships. Most job seekers, most recruiters and most HR people continue to extol how most jobs are filled through some sort of personal connection. Some claim that as many as 70 percent (or more) of all jobs are filled through relationships.
This is great news for networking and networkers. The mantra is work the relationship, not online. The new century connection here is LinkedIn. The social media platform has become the go-to place in the job seeking universe. Employers and recruiters troll the site candidates. Job seekers scour its profiles in search of people they know and/or people at specific organizations.
Does this mean that the resume and the cover letter are dead and obsolete? No.
Are resumes less important and less likely to land you job in 2023? Most probably. But that does not mean that they have no value. They remain important, just not as prominent as they were 20-25 years ago. Or, the last time you looked for a job.