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What Job Seekers Should Be Doing Now: Part 2

In the second installment of our three part webinar series, “What Job Seekers Should Be Doing Now,” Denise Slaysman, Director of Talent Acquisition, Cambridge International, and Mary Virtuoso, National Technical Recruiter, Resolvit, share tips to help guide your job search during these rapidly changing times. Consider these key tips from the webinar or watch the recording below for the full discussion.

1. Research and Connect – It’s a great time to research companies of interest. Review company websites and social media channels to find out what they’re doing and what they’ve done in the past. You can also use social media to see if you know any contacts at these companies. Most employers will give a little bit of a preference to a referral, so use social media to your advantage to build your network. Is there someone on LinkedIn who can give you a virtual introduction to that company? In the midst of social isolation, people crave connection. So reach out—people are largely available and wanting to connect right now.

2. Clean Up Your Resume and Profiles – As many things have slowed down, take this time to clean up your marketing materials. Are there any new certifications or trainings you need to add to your resume or LinkedIn profile? Have you checked your privacy settings on your social media accounts? If your account is not locked down, make sure you’d be comfortable with an employer seeing it – and stay positive in your public postings and interactions.

3. Prepare for Virtual Interviews – It’s important to treat a virtual interview as seriously as a face-to-face interview. So minimize distractions as much as possible, do your research on the company, and be prepared with questions to ask. Also be sure to check your tech. Download any necessary software or check your links ahead of time, not five minutes before the interview begins. There’s not one universal video conferencing platform people will be using. So do a test run with a friend to get comfortable in the virtual environment and specific platform you’ll be using.

Q&A

There were a couple questions we received during the webinar that were not answered during the live broadcast. You’ll find the questions and responses below:

Q: I have been told that experience over 20 years will hurt the applicant. What is your advice for people over 50 and some resume tips?

Most jobs don’t require more than 5-10 years of experience, and what you did over 20 years ago is rarely relevant to what you’re doing today. What you need to illustrate on your resume is that you have the years of experience required for the job you’re applying for. For example: if you’ve been doing Program Management for 15 years and you’re applying for a job that requires 15 years of Program Management experience, leave off older positions in quality or logistics if they aren’t relevant.

Also delete the year you graduated from college or grad school. If you need to include training, make sure it’s applicable and recent. Do some background research on the companies you’re applying to as well. If they typically hire younger or seem to have an age bias, you as an individual are not going to change that – go where you’re wanted.

Q: For OPSEC what’s the best way to list your type of security clearance on your resume? 

It depends on where you’re sharing your resume. On a closed site like ClearedJobs.Net, which is only accessible by vetted cleared facilities employers, you definitely want to include your security clearance on your resume. Same for defense and intel contractor company sites. Simply list your security clearance—details on reinvestigation or expiration dates are not necessary.

However, never reference your security clearance on social media sites or large job boards that have non-cleared personnel as well. Some employers will immediately disqualify you from consideration if you do so.