Instead of focusing on the change, don’t lose track of the same
A lot has been said and written (some of it here) about how things have changed – and changed radically – in the job-search marketplace. LinkedIn. Video interviews. Jobs boards. Digital resumes. If you’ve been searching for any reasonable amount of time, you know the drill.
Not only do you have to know the drill, in many cases you have to embrace it as well. LinkedIn proficiency; knowing your way around an ATS (automated tracking system); mastering the video interview – all that and more are the tools of the trade for today’s job seeker.
That’s all true. Like it or not, that’s the way the game is played today.
Can’t I just look for a job the old-fashioned way?
The simple answer to that question is, “No!” Actually, it’s “Hell, no!”
But the old adage “the more things change, the more they stay the same” also applies to today’s job search.
Something as tried and true as networking is still king. (Or, at least, crown prince.) Despite the enormous inroads forged by LinkedIn, networking may still be the most important – and the most effective way to land a job in 2021.
To fully appreciated another unchangling, look for a moment at the situation through the eyes of the employer. What are they looking for? After all is said and done, they still want good people. Age is just a number. You’re not some abstract numerical accident of birth, you are what you bring to the table.
And that’s a saleable skill.