I was watching 4 Corners last Monday. The report was about the jobs of the future and the prediction that the biggest threat from technological advancement will be in the white collar sector. I started wondering……what is the threat today?
I have many friends and former colleagues who are struggling to find a job. These are good people with around 25+years of professional experience in white collar roles yet it seems that few companies want to hire them. I also know of a large number of recent graduates who say that they cannot find a job in their field because the entry level jobs require previous experience and specific skills.
So we have a group with too much experience and another group with no experience, neither are considered suitable for employment.
For me the threat today is that there are many great, valuable, & useful candidates who are not getting a look in. Most don’t even get an interview.
I thought about the title of one of Marshall Goldsmith’s books “what got you here won’t get you there” and I thought “how does this apply to people currently looking for a new role?”
Today’s world of work has dramatically changed and will continue to do so. If the skills and knowledge we use to build our resumes are causing us to end up on the “no” pile, (as proven by the lack of job offers to these two groups), what do we need to do differently?
Changing how you present yourself in your resume has to be the area because your resume determines whether you are suitable or not to the employer.
What can you do with your resume to make you look an attractive candidate?
I wonder if the days of listing years of responsibilities are gone. I wonder if you need to radically rethink your resume.
Businesses are struggling with the volatile, ambiguous and ever changing environment. They are also struggling to find people who not only cope but can thrive in this environment. How can you show you are up to the challenge?
You could consider the following suggestions
- Providing real examples where you have solved complex problems using innovative and creative thinking
- Demonstrate your curiosity by seeking more than one option from more than one
- How you not only adapt to change but you have helped others to do so too.
Thinking differently is what employers are looking for. So why not find ways to show that you do this in your resume? What have you got to lose?
