In May, this blog and this business will be seven years old. In just 7 years so much has changed with getting a job, getting hired, resumes, interviews and all things related to the job search. In 2013, the unemployment rate was still high, the American economy was still recovering from the housing market bust - job seekers had employment gaps to contend with when interviewing. Side Hustles, known as Gigs back then were booming. Uber and Lyft were on the rise. Companies weren’t hiring full-time workers, they wanted part-time and contract workers so they didn’t have to offer benefits.  Workers left the workforce and started their own businesses. Start-up companies were exploding all across the country. Some major companies suffered massive job cuts and layoffs. Many industries had to figure out how to do more with less. And wages were flat.

Through those seven years things started to get better and as a resume writer, one of the first things I noticed was that my clients weren’t being asked about employment gaps. Then, I noticed more clients were being offered full-time jobs as opposed to part-time, contractor, or trial basis employment. The economy was adding two or three hundred thousand jobs per month and unemployment was ticking downward.

Now according to the experts, the economy is booming. Unemployment is at a 40 year low of 3.5%. I am noticing that my clients are getting jobs, good-paying jobs. If you go to my Instagram page (instagram.com/resumecrusade) you can see recent client testimonials where they state they have been offered jobs with salary increases of $25,000.00, $28,000.00, and signing bonuses of $20,000.00.

This means jobs are back! So if jobs are back then why are so many people still not getting the jobs they want?

Here’s why. Remember the job market is tight, meaning unemployment is low and the competition for talent is on! So as a job seeker you can’t just submit your resume or post your resume online and expect someone to hire you. Although it happens from time to time, for many of you, you have to hustle - you have to look high and low for the job you want.  You also have to perform some due diligence - you can’t just say, “I just need a job, any job” - employers don’t want to hear that and that’s not how you go from making no money to making big money.

Some of you have experience and education and you think all you need to do is submit your tired resume and bland cover letter and you will get the job. No so.

I may be giving away the store here but the BIGGEST TREND TO GET YOU HIRED IN 2020 is…

Telling your story!

Before I briefly tell you what telling your story is, let me first tell you what is NOT.

It is not begging! Telling the potential employer that you need this job to take care of your kids or pay your bills, doesn’t work in most cases because we all have responsibilities in life.

What telling your story is, is creating a narrative in your email communication, cover letter, LinkedIn profile and even in the resume about why you love your line of work, why you do what you do, why you want to work with that company - doing those things. Telling your story is about explaining how hard you worked in college to get an opportunity and how you are prepared for that opportunity.

I can say from my point of view and based on conversations with my clients, they tell me that the narrative of their resume, cover letter, and Linkedin were the driving factors in getting attention from Recruiters and Head Hunters which helped them to land bigger and lucrative jobs in 2019. I believe as the job market tightens up a little more this trend will continue.

There’s a ton of competition and companies are looking for the right person but they want a story, so give them one.

 

Need help with your story? If you are reading hire someone to help, contact me at [email protected]