Successful Job Seekers Reveal Job Search Strategies
June 29 2015 - 10:00AM
Business Wire
Survey shows key behaviors and attitudes that
produce employment results
The most effective job seekers — those perceived as the
“complete package” by hiring managers — target and customize their
searches, and are organized and realistic about their
opportunities. The 2015 Successful Job Seekers research explores
these behaviors and investigates the critical factors and personal
traits job seekers feel contributed most to their success in
finding employment.
The survey of 589 U.S. professionals of varying ages and in
different roles and industries was conducted in March 2015 by the
Career Advisory Board, established by DeVry University. Respondents
were classified as either passive job seekers, who were recruited
by desirable companies and received offers without conducting
searches, or active job seekers, who accepted jobs less than six
months after starting proactive searches. The Career Advisory Board
synthesized the research to help job seekers improve their
employment outcomes.
2015 Successful Job
Seekers Research Key Findings
Successful job seekers are selective and focus on specific
targets.
- Active job seekers were very selective
about targeting individual companies and applying to open
positions. More than one-half applied to five or fewer positions
and two-thirds applied to 10 or fewer.
- Candidates believed matching their
qualifications with job requirements was important; 90 percent of
active job seekers wanted to be at least 75 percent qualified
before applying for a position.
- This targeted approach proved highly
effective, as nearly one-third of active job seekers were
interviewed for more than half the positions to which they
applied.
Customizing job applications was a critical success factor in
capturing employers’ attention.
- Nearly 70 percent reached out to a
contact person to find out more about the position, and
approximately the same number (67 percent) submitted résumés
containing keywords and skills listed in the job description.
Showcasing both job-specific and interpersonal skills during
interviews paints the most robust picture of candidate
qualifications.
- Once an interview had been secured, 84
percent of both active and passive job seekers updated or created
new résumés that included keywords and skills listed in that
specific job description.
- A majority of respondents prepared for
interviews by reviewing the company’s website or Googling the
company, and nearly one-half brainstormed concrete examples of how
their skills matched the job description.
- Most respondents seized the opportunity
to display good business skills by emailing timely thank-you notes
following an interview.
“Results from our annual survey of hiring managers (The Job
Preparedness Indicator study) tell us that hiring managers want
hires who meet 100 percent of the criteria now,” said Madeleine
Slutsky, chair of the Career Advisory Board and vice president of
Career and Student Services at DeVry University. “This latest
research proves that when job seekers go the extra mile to
demonstrate why they are right for a particular position — by
customizing their résumés and being prepared to be specific about
their potential contributions in an interview – they meet this need
and often succeed in getting offers.”
Finding a job doesn’t need to be a full-time job, but it does
require dedicated time.
- While some career advisors suggest
treating a job search like a full-time job, 45 percent of our
respondents spent less than one hour a day and 47 percent spent one
to three hours a day on search activities.
- However, the youngest respondents
(18–26 years) spent much more time on job-search activities than
careerists over age 41, many of whom spent less than an hour per
day.
- The majority of successful job seekers
were meticulous in how they researched, identified and contacted
desirable companies; 73 percent of respondents kept detailed files
on each opportunity, and 64 percent maintained weekly to-do
lists.
Successful job seekers don’t hide behind digital outreach;
they use every opportunity to connect and be seen.
- Somewhat surprisingly, most respondents
did not uncover potential job opportunities through social media.
Only 33 percent used LinkedIn “occasionally” or “frequently.”
- Successful job seekers used a mix of
search techniques such as querying friends, family and business
contacts about companies, and attending in-person networking
events, conferences and industry gatherings.
“Hiring managers still view a candidate’s attitude as a key
differentiator in securing a position and in job success,” said
Alexandra Levit, business and workplace consultant and Career
Advisory Board member. “Attributes such as willingness to learn,
adaptability and self-confidence often outweigh tangible skills and
credentials.”
To read the research report and strategic advice from the Career
Advisory Board to help candidates enhance their marketability and
land desirable jobs more quickly, please visit
www.careeradvisoryboard.org.
About the Career Advisory Board
Established in 2010 by DeVry University, the Career Advisory
Board is comprised of leading representatives from business and
academia, and recognized career experts who deliver valuable
insights on today’s most important career trends and provide
actionable advice for job seekers. The Career Advisory Board
generates original research and commentary, and creates tools,
insights and resources to prepare job seekers for success. Its
members include executives from DeVry University, Google, HP, IBM,
and LinkedIn, as well as nationally recognized career experts. For
more information, visit http://careeradvisoryboard.org.
Survey Methodology
The Career Advisory Board’s Successful Job Seekers research was
designed to uncover the actions and traits of individuals who were
able to land new jobs quickly in a market where hiring managers are
increasingly selective and many candidates go months or years
without employment.
The research was conducted online within the United States by
DeVry University on behalf of the Career Advisory Board in March
2015. Survey respondents included 589 U.S. professionals who had
accepted a new job in the last year, and who received an interview
for that role within six months of being recruited or starting a
new job search.
View source
version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150629005016/en/
DeVry UniversityDonna Shaults,
630-353-9013dshaults@devry.edu
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