Young PR Pros: Episode #59 – 10 Ways the Job Search has Changed

This week, hosts Kristine Simpson and Julia Kent talk about the ways the job search has changed. Your parents may have instilled job searching lessons in you as a child, but some of those lessons no longer apply.

In a Huffington Post article written by Joshua Waldman called 10 Ways The Job Search Has Changed, it says job searching has changed dramatically over the past few years. If you want to succeed, you’ll have to take a much different approach than you did previously.

Kristine and Julia comment on a few points in the article:

1. Google has replaced the resumé. SEO is more important today than it ever was. Kristine shares some tricks on how you can make sure you look good on Google.
2. A summary of your work history is enough. As mentioned in episode 53, there are 2000-3000 new PR and communications graduates every year in Canada. It is a competitive world out there, so summarize in a cover letter or at the top of your résumé why you should be the chosen candidate.
3. Relationships come first, resumés second. Julia reminds the audience that the majority of PR/communications/marketing jobs are achieved by who you know and not what you know. Young PR Pros gives a bunch of useful tips on networking and building relationships in episode 48.
4. Employers only care about what they want. Kristine reminds young pros your job search is not about you, but about the company. The best way to get a job is to find out what the company’s business goals are and show how you could fulfill that need.
5. Work gaps aren’t big problems. Julia shares her work background to demonstrate that a diverse background with a few breaks can actually be good for your job search.
6. And finally, Kristine errs on the side of caution when reading number 3: social proof is a must. Although it is nice to have letters of recommendations, Kristine doesn’t beieve in LinkedIn endorsements, she shares her reasons and gives young pros other alternatives to social proof.

We want to hear from you. What is missing from this list? How do you think the job search has changed over the years? Post your comment below or on our Facebook Page, or on our Google+ page, or in our LinkedIn group, or on Pinterest, or send us an email at youngprpros@gmail.com, or send us a message on Twitter @youngprpros, @kristinesimpson or @kentjulia.