Thanks to an ever-changing digital landscape, the way people work is evolving. How we go about recruiting and hiring new colleagues is constantly in flux, too.
For many job seekers, the process of finding new employment can spark a myriad of questions such as how to kick off a job search, how to set yourself apart from other candidates, and where to turn for advice. In today’s new work environment there are also questions around hybrid working and remote roles in addition to well-being topics. It can seem daunting.
At Clarivate™, we receive tens of thousands of job applications every year and we are always looking for candidates who can add value with their experience and passion.
Whether you are pursuing employment at Clarivate or somewhere else, here are some insights to help you stand out in an online environment and land your next job.
Here are our five tips for today’s job seeker:
- Resumes are used differently in the digital age
- Use SEO key words to get the attention of recruiters
- Create a personal brand
- Build a network
- Avoid recruiter fraud
1) Resumes are used differently in the digital age
We are often asked if resumes are still useful. The answer is a resounding yes – with the understanding they serve something of a different purpose than they did just a few years ago.
In the past, hiring managers would post a job, wait for candidates to submit their applications and resumes, and then manually sort through the applications. Today, we increasingly rely on technologies like job board aggregators (like LinkedIn.com, Naukri.com or Indeed.com) and applicant tracking systems (ATS) to be more proactive in our search for the ideal candidate.
“Like many professions, executive recruiting has become a predominately digital endeavor,” according to Ken Schmitt and Victoria Willenberg at Turning Point Executive Search. In their blog article “Are Resumes Still Relevant?” the authors noted job seekers “are more likely to be found through search engines and social media than by a paper resume.”
With this in mind, it is imperative to make sure your resume can be discovered online. While your old resume served as an outline highlighting your skills and experiences, your latest resume should be incorporating key search terms recruiters will use in searching online for potential candidates.
2) Use SEO key words to get the attention of recruiters
That might seem easier said than done, but Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques are fairly simple to deploy, and they can dramatically improve your resume’s visibility. Essentially, it just takes a little research and a bit of imagination to figure out what words and phrases hiring managers in your field are using to seek out qualified candidates.
You can do this by looking up industry news and scoping out websites for companies that interest you. Industry research will help you familiarize yourself with keywords to use in your resume or application. It can also lead to insights that will be valuable later in the interview process.
On the Greekrar blog, Ruby Singh described how keywords are used by hiring managers to search for job candidates. In her article “How Can SEO Techniques Improve Your Resume?”, she says “platforms like LinkedIn allow users to upload a copy of their resume onto their profile. Recruiters seeking to employ someone in your career field can find your profile using the right keywords. The same keywords are found on your profile and resume.”
“Industry research will help you familiarize yourself with keywords to use in your resume or application. It can also lead to insights that will be valuable later in the interview process.”
Even when companies don’t use ATS, “keywords are still the invisible link between the recruiter and the candidate,” Singh said. Including the right words and phrases to describe your work experience and key skills can only improve your resume and application in any situation.
3) Create a personal brand
This one might be met with a little resistance. “Branding” is a buzzword that could make some job seekers skeptical. However, we encourage you to try it. Developing your personal brand can be a fun, creative way to help you stand out and gain attention in your industry.
In a nutshell, creating a personal brand “allows you to take control over your professional image and market your skills and experiences to attract potential employers or clients,” according to the article, “How to Create a Personal Brand (And Why It’s Important)” on the Indeed website.
“A personal brand lets you speak up and stand out from your competitors,” the authors explain. “It lets you promote your reputation and skills and attract your target audience through websites, social media and networking.” Think of a personal brand as a digital business card, one that can be easily distributed with a simple computer keystroke.
“Developing your personal brand can be a fun, creative way to help you stand out and reap attention in your industry.”
The article details step by step how to create a personal brand, including how to draft a brand message, personality characteristics to highlight and finding your target audience. Do check it out, especially if you are still uncertain about the value of developing your own brand.
4) Build a network
5) Avoid recruiter fraud
While the digital age has made it easier in many ways for potential candidates and hiring managers to connect, it has also helped scammers take advantage of job seekers. It’s a relatively new phenomenon, and unfortunately something we see with increasing frequency.
While those of us in recruiting and hiring are working to figure out ways to prevent fraud from happening, LinkedIn offers the following advice in the article, “How to Avoid Online Job Scams”:
You may be asked for your financial details to verify your credit score before employment.
You may be asked to send money directly as a starting cost for the job (this is almost always a scam, and you should never pay to start a position).
Or, the con artist may ask you to accept a wire transfer and pass it along to someone else, while keeping a small portion for yourself as a fee. In almost all cases, this money is stolen and you may be unknowingly committing wire fraud.
Sadly, we have also seen instances where bad apples will create profiles of real recruiters and ask candidates to pay for a training course before their employment can commence. This, too, is a scam.
Any of these situations should serve as a red flag and whenever you have any doubt, reach out directly to the company, through their websites (NOT links that have been sent to you). We would much rather have a potential candidate reach out to confirm the details of an opportunity than to be taken advantage by one of these malicious schemes.
NOTE: Clarivate will never ask a potential candidate to pay for training or other services as part of the recruitment process.
Explore opportunities at Clarivate
At Clarivate, our colleagues are our best competitive advantage and we are always looking for confident, passionate and talented people to join us in a wide variety of capacities. When you work at Clarivate, you are part of a global organization trusted by the world’s top universities, researchers, corporations and brands to achieve their goals.
If this sounds like you, we encourage you to check out our Careers page today.
About the author
Troy Teague is Senior Director – Talent Acquisition Strategy and Delivery for Clarivate. He has more than 20 years of experience in leading large teams to deliver technical and other talent needs. Starting his career with one of the largest recruitment agencies provided great experience with fast-paced, high-volume hiring for niche skill sets. The team of 3,500+ recruiters was primarily focused on Mechanical and Electrical Engineer recruiting. After four years with an agency, Troy joined a Healthcare IT company that went from 4,000 employees to 30,000 in the 16 years he was there. During this explosive growth, he worked to create a scalable and efficient recruitment process that leveraged technology.
