Make the Virtual a Reality
More than ever, in-person meetings are slim to none due to the pandemic. It may be plausible to meet up with friends and family taking precautions, but companies don’t want to risk it. The flames of the pandemic have made online applications even more popular. It’s a much easier and quicker way to apply. Why wouldn’t companies switch to digital? But, what about the advantages of face-to-face interaction? Things like reading body language and getting a feel for the workplace are gone. Or is it? Let’s look at what’s happening with your resume behind the scenes. Our applications aren’t our resumes pasted over and over again. They’re more like our personal online showcase!
The Alignment of the Stars Was Not in Our Favor
First, let us say the face-to-face bit is void for remote jobs. Services like Skype and Zoom remove the need to worry about lack of communication. Let’s start things off with the setbacks of the physical application. The biggest one is the fact that a lot of them get overlooked. Time is precious. Already overbooked human resources professional slogging through a million messages may never get to see your application anyways! Companies also look at your years of experience to know whether they’ll hire you. At first glance, if a point in your application sits the wrong way with the recruiter, you can kiss it goodbye. They toss it, never to return!
No one wants to hear it, but good luck setting up a meeting with a potential employer. What happens when your chosen career doesn’t have a good onboarding or hiring process? This omission is unfortunately common. Trust me. It will be rescheduling until you want to pull your hair out and give UP! Most of their heads are spinning with work regardless. So, have I convinced you to start filling out all your applications online? If not, touché. Online is quick, easy, and convenient for all involved. All resumes from your potential coworkers will be available in a click!
Clarity Soup for the Employee’s Soul
What do we mean by applying online? Booking tons of “easy apps” on LinkedIn and Indeed isn’t it. The key is to build your digital world, to connect with real people. We should be building ourselves up online. There are a lot of ways to catch the eyes of employers. For example, use featured sections to keep all your professional endeavors highlighted. Not only that, keep updating your profile to show you’re excited about your career path. Also, when listing your experience, make them as straightforward as possible. Never leave a vague and open description like “freelance writer” or “artist.” Instead, convey that you were a temporary historic commentator for a blog site. Regardless of the title you wish for, blogging can be one of the easiest ways to gain experience and get your work out there.
From my personal experience, it’s more about applying yourself and your craft as an online presence. Having a social media presence on LinkedIn is crucial. It would be best if you were connecting with people and having 1-on-1 conversations. There are many advantages to having a successful online persona as much as, if not more than, in-person or regular online applications.
Professor World-Wide
Who’s to say these problems couldn’t happen with online applications? The good news is that paper is a heavy burden. Online work is much easier to organize, and most modern companies are more likely to look through those first to take care of them. As for the content you post on social media (primarily LinkedIn as your show and tell), you’re making their jobs more manageable if you’re getting your best angle on there (link to a LinkedIn article on SP). They’ll be impressed and be more likely to move forward with you.
It’s nicer to show you have an online presence before you get hired. Having that professional appearance online indicates you know how to connect and engage with others. Try to keep these four words close to your heart at all times; THINK BEFORE YOU POST! Your next CEO does not want to see a drama about exes or heated arguments on your professional profile. In some cases, they’ll also check up on some personal profiles.
The best thing about applying yourself online is that you can build a community. It’s also easily accessible. LinkedIn makes it so easy to edit and update your experience and work history. Keep that page up to date and show those employers you’re on top of this! The more people you connect with, the more your resume ping-pongs around to others. That’s better than having your hard work chucked in the bin.
Let’s Have the Last(ing) Laugh!
The key here is not to get discouraged. Work hard, work diligently, and remember to give yourself time to rest and reflect on the week’s work. Without your mental health in check, the world can seem to be closing in on you. You have to stay inspired! Know that there are millions of people on the same journey. They have the same struggles you’ll face on the path to finding your purpose. Never give up on it. One step back could mean ten steps forward! Check out more on the Super Purposes blog site!
