The jobs market is changing — and so should your resume #TBT

Today's blog post was originally published last year. Quite a bit has changed since then. In fact, quite a bit has changed in the past month!

Today's blog post is from an article on CNBC.

The jobs market is changing, that's no secret. 

Today, shifts in technology and demographics mean that more of us are working for longer and in totally different ways than previous generations. 

And that trend shows no sign of abating. The World Economic Forum predicts that by 2025, 75 million jobs will have disappeared to be replaced by 133 million new ones as automation spreads in the workplace. 

What's less clear, however, is how to respond to that mammoth move. 

Yet, according to experts, it likely starts with rewriting a centuries-old concept: The resume.

I haven't updated my resume in years...mainly because I'm hoping to stay where I am until I retire in about 3 1/2 years.

In a recent LinkedIn Influencer post, Alistair Cox, the CEO of global recruitment firm Hays, praised luminary Leonardo da Vinci for creating the resume in 1482, but opined that "as the world in which we work changes beyond recognition, so does the C.V."

What kind of changes are they recommending?

So, just what does the new resume look like and — more importantly — how should you rewrite yours? Well, according to Cox, there are four things to keep in mind.

1. Readers will be both man and machine

2. Skills will be the focus

3. Gaps will become more common

4. Personalization will be key

And although it wasn't mentioned here, be sure to send a thank you card to the interviewer.

From a previous blog post:

One of the most valuable, and least utilized, uses of thank you notes is after a job interview. I know...you've heard it a thousand times! But guess what? Nobody does it!

According to Fortune: 

We were surprised to learn that over 75% of the people surveyed did not receive any kind of thank you note from most of the candidates they interviewed, and for 30% of those surveyed, no follow up meant no further steps for the candidate. One hiring manager remarked, “The follow up is the linchpin for me. If the interview goes well and I feel invigorated and excited about someone, I wait to see what kind of follow up efforts they put forth."

When asked about a preference for email or snail mail:

Our sources didn’t show a strong preference for email or snail mail, and both have their benefits. An email can be more timely but a handwritten note might really stand out. Quoted in a New York Times article on the subject, New York fashion publicist Cristiano Magni says, “It is so important, in a digital world, to have the dignity to sit down and write something in your own hand.” And when prompted further, many of our sources agreed that a hand-written note stands out as more personal, and there’s no denying it requires a bit more effort than its digital equivalent. Most important is just to do something within 24 hours of the interview. 

Why not send both? Send an email out because it's timely, but a card received in the mail a few days later will have a stronger impact. Wouldn't you want your resume on the top of the stack when they make a hiring decision?

You can send out one free thank you card (or any other kind of card) to anyone in the world. Just go to www.socoverview.com/#!611

I don't know what the job market is going to look like when the shelter-in-place orders are lifted. They're already being lifted in some places, although quite prematurely in my opinion. (But nobody asked for my opinion...but since this is my blog, here it is)

Interesting days

Today - Talk Like Shakespeare Day, Thank you Thursday, Love Your Thighs Day, Lost Dog Awareness Day, World Book Night and English Language Day

Tomorrow - Teach Your Children to Save Day, Hairball Awareness Day, Pig In A Blanket Day and Firefly Day

Next Thursday - Honesty Day, Oatmeal Cookie Day, Poem in Your Pocket Day and International Jazz Day

Week long celebrations:

Apr 26 - May 2: Go Diaper Free Week

May 23 - Turtle Day, World Product Day, Title Track Day and Lucky Penny Day