I’ve been unemployed for more than six months and was happy to hear President Obama say in his State of the Union address that he’s working with major corporations to adopt hiring practices to prevent bias against hiring unemployed workers. Do you think that will change my employment prospects?
Listen, whatever your politics, the proclamation by President Obama was a feel-good sound bite with no teeth at all. Here’s the reality: The economy is improving, and the unemployment rate has been declining —but that’s of little solace to those still unemployed. But employers recognize the time it takes to find a new job has increased — and many also know that the cost-cutting required over the past few years has led to laying off talented staff. So I honestly don’t believe there is a stigma to being unemployed and a bias against hiring them. Your unemployment situation and your job search are unique to you, and you must remain positive, craft a highly-targeted search and be persistent. That’s the best way to improve your chances of finding another job fast.
I read that the latest job-search craze is to use gimmicks to get your resume or profile viewed by prospective employers. Do I really need to put my resume on a pizza box and send it special delivery to a hiring manager?
I love these latest crazes and gimmicks — as if nobody’s ever thought of being creative when sending out resumes! It’s true the digital age has increased the number of ways in which job hunters can get more creative. And while some people still may walk around wearing sandwich boards with their resumes, or plaster their image and profile on billboards, more common are video profiles. Depending on the industry — like advertising and digital media — such methods are increasingly becoming the new norm. Go for whatever approach represents you accurately and is culturally acceptable for the industry. Remember, though, no amount of creativity you use to get noticed matters once you begin interviewing — unless you can demonstrate that your skills and experience are deeper than a clever campaign.