Job Hunting By the Numbers

With a professional background that is also based in market research, I often find myself pulling nuggets throughout the year. Often they’re inserted in our blog, some just sit in a file waiting to be used. Today, I am cleaning these out.

Responding to Job Posts
A bit disconcerting for the procrastinator… The Ladders found that your chances of getting called in for an interview decrease significantly only 72 hours after the job is posted online.

Social Media
That same Jobvite social recruiting survey we discussed in our resolutions blog reveals that 93 percent of recruiters review candidates’ social network profiles – whether its on a resume or easily accessible or not. You might want to update your privacy settings or just be more careful. And while we’re on this study – how is your LinkedIn profile? Nearly four out of five (78%) recruiters have hired through a social network, LinkedIn being the most used (94%) of all platforms. If you’re applying for jobs, your LinkedIn profile has to be current and engaging. When you update your resume there is no excuse to not update LinkedIn.

Leveraging Your Network
If you know someone at a company you are interested in or interviewing with, don’t be shy – get a referral. CareerXroads found that candidates are ten times more likely to get a job when the application is accompanied by an employee referral. What is a referral? Name drop on your cover letter or ask your contact to talk with HR to get your resume to the top of the pile. And you’re not asking for charity here as many companies offer employee (cash) incentives if a referral is hired.

Interviewing
Ever hear of the 80/20 rule? If not, that’s good… because that means the recruiting club is keeping our secrets. We’re taking a risk of getting tossed from the club by letting you in on this secret… your skills are only a fifth (20 percent) of what recruiters are looking for in an interview. The other 80% is looking into how you would mesh with the team and your cultural fit.

Happy job hunting… and if you come across interesting numbers please send them along to a fellow data wonk by emailing me at doug@willory.com.