You might think young people would know better than to use emojis in their resumes, but anyone who works for a professional staffing agency can tell you otherwise. Unfortunately, some applicants think a liberal approach to emoji use will make them stand out from the crowd.
While a graphic designer might have a free hand to craft a more personalized resume, the basic design of a successful CV and cover letter hasn’t changed much in recent years. On the other hand, the job market itself has gone through a seismic shakeup in just the past five years. If you aren’t prepared for the new reality, you’re going to be stuck hunting for job openings for a long time…
The State of the Job Market in 2015: What Job Seekers Need To Know
The month of October 2015 represented a major milestone for a country still recovering from the recession — the unemployment rate dropped to a seven-year low of just 5%. That means the U.S. has seen 68 straight months of job gains.
But while the country has been steadily adding jobs for the past five years, the number of contingent workers has gone up as well. Now, almost 40% of the country works as a temp, freelancer, or independent contractor. And with wages at full-time jobs flat as a board, 51% of employees say they are either “open” or “actively seeking” a new job. That means 71% of the workforce is still on the job market.
So if you want to find jobs at non profit organizations, prepare to face stiff competition. Also, as more young people and recent college grads flock to big cities, non profit jobs in NYC and Washington D.C. are going to be harder to come by in 2016.
A Non Profit Staffing Agency Reveals How To Find Non Profit Jobs in New York, D.C., and Beyond…
Just like we don’t need to tell you not to use emojis, we hope we don’t need to tell you about the value of social media in finding your first job. Fully 94% of recruiters use social media when looking for applicants. Specifically, 89% have hired a candidate through Linkedin, 26% have done so through Facebook, and 15% through Twitter.
You need to double check your privacy settings and make sure people can’t see anything you don’t want them to. But you also shouldn’t completely scrub your social media presence from the web. Some employers think a lack of social media presence raises a red flag.
Non profits are increasingly relying on a local staffing agency, and not just temp agencies. Working with a professional staffing agency that specializes in non profit jobs can often decrease the time you spend job hunting. Don’t just apply to employers, find nonprofit search firms or a staffing agency as well.
Finally, it’s always a smart idea to start volunteering while on the job market, especially in positions relevant to your field. Not only is this a great offline way to network, but it can prove that you have a passion employers can really use.
Got any more tips on landing non profit jobs? Give us a shout in the comments!