Keeping up with job market trends can be a challenge, especially for tenured employees who haven’t needed to update their resume, upskill, or interview recently. For long-time employees reentering the job market, being up-to-date about current trends and newer job search practices can ease the journey, despite the uncertainty and fear of looking for a new role.
Resume Tips
A resume is your introduction to a company. Start strong with a readable format optimized for ATS and AI screening, clear performance indicators, and your most recent work history, certifications, and education.
- Put the most important information first, use bullet points, and highlight key metrics.
- Keep your resume concise and limited to one or two pages, if possible.
- Tailor your resume for the job you’re applying to by including keywords from the job posting, spotlighting skills the role requires, and featuring your most prominent experiences that make you the perfect fit.
Transferable Skills
Applying the skills you’ve gained throughout your career to new jobs is the premise of transferable skills. Upskilling and reskilling can also prepare you for new opportunities as skills-based hiring continues to rise.
- Highlight transferable skills on your resume and cover letter, and prepare examples to share during interviews.
- Take advantage of contract work to gain new skills and try out different roles.
- Pursue career development opportunities like certifications, mentorships, association memberships, and microcredentials.
Interview Best Practices
Landing an interview is an important part of the job searching process. However, it can be a nerve-wracking experience if it’s your first interview in a while. Tried-and-true interview tips are still relevant, but there are some nuances when reentering the job market.
- Email a thank-you. Best practice used to be handwritten notes, but email is perfectly acceptable now.
- You may be perceived as overqualified by the interviewer. Use these tips to overcome that perception.
- Be confident in your skills, yet humble and realistic about skills you don’t have.
Finding a job is tough, and the competition is stiff. Keep your chin up to overcome career setbacks, refocus on your goals, and keep your job options open. Despite the challenges of the job market, the experts at Express Employment Professionals are here to help.
