Support is Where You Find it

Guess where the 21st Century job search is grounded

In today’s digital world we increasingly turn to the Internet and to AI to find… well, most anything and everything. What’s the weather? Ask Alexa. Real time stock quotes are there for the taking. Live streaming of sports and other events. Re-runs of classic TV and movies. They’re all there.

It then stands to reason that the job-search world would be no different… and, to no one’s surprise, it isn’t. And, we, at Nifty50s, have devoted substantial amount of time and space to the concept.

Time to face reality

Think about it: More than 90 percent of all recruiters use LinkedIn on a daily basis. Many spend hour upon hour scanning the online world everyday seeking candidates and companies. There are HR departments in companies that seek and vet candidates everyday for every job.

How can you, the job seeker, take advantage of this as well? Let’s be honest, it’s much easier for some rather others. If you’re any kind of designer, it seems to be a no-brainer to include your pertinent work online where any recruiter or potential employer can obtain easy and ready access to it.

The same holds true for any article(s) which you may have written. Or, any article(s) which might substantiate a success story that you may have achieved. That third-party, objective endorsement is invaluable. Even if it’s a trade publication which 90 percent of the business world has no concept of its existence, that third-party imprimatur is gold. Finding this kind of support (assuming that it exists) shouldn’t be that difficult. Once found, it should find its way on to your resume or into a cover letter to support one claim or another.

The flip side

But it’s not all good news either. The biggest downside is what you’re probably already heard about – someone whose past (or past embarrassment) has surfaced on some social media site and, worse yet, has come to the attention of a recruiter or potential hiring manager.

Maybe even worse still is an article or some documentation that clearly shows that some of your claims are less than accurate. The really bad news is that, depending on the post, no amount of scrubbing may clean it entirely from cyberspace.

It’s truly a good news, bad news situation. But it’s one that you can and should turn to your advantage at every opportunity.

More tips.