Top 10 Sources of Hiring

Barbara Adams, CPRW, CEIP, CFRWC
service@careerproplus.com

If you think that posting your resume on a job board isn't effective then think again. A recent issue of weddles.com --The Newsletter About Internet Resources for Successful Recruiting & HR Management, reported on a survey they had conducted of 708 people which indicated that the top ten sources of hire were the following:

• 31.2% Answered an ad on a job board
• 10.6% Sent their resume to the company
• 9.3% Answered an ad in the newspaper
• 8.5% Responded to a tip from a friend
• 6.8% Were referred by an employee of the company
• 6.6% Received a call from a headhunter
• 5.1% Answered an ad posted on the company’s Web-site
• 4.9% Attended a career fair
• 4.8% Used networking at a business event
• 2.7% Received a call from a staffing firm
• 2.7% Responded to a tip from a family member

What the Findings Mean

First, for those who think newspaper advertising has gone the way of carbon paper, please think again. Almost one-out-of-ten of our respondents found their jobs through the print medium.

Second, employee referral programs work, but they do not replace all of the other sources of new employees. Indeed, in this survey, more people reported being hired by answering an ad on a job board, mailing their resume to an employer, responding to a newspaper ad, and following up on a tip from a friend than through an employee referral program.

Third, job boards fill vacancies. The respondents were three times more likely to find their jobs through the ads posted on a job board than with the next closest method—sending their resume in to a company the old fashioned way.

Whether your job board of choice is MilitaryHire.com, Hot Jobs, USA Jobs, or any of the thousands (and growing) job board services out there, here are a few suggestions to help you increase your chance of being searched and contacted by an employer for an interview.

1. Specify the type of employment you are seeking, location, and employment category. These listings are very important because these are a few specific categories by which employers conduct specific job board searches.
2. Populate your resume with keywords. I can't stress this enough. If, for example, you're seeking an IT position that calls for skill in software development, network management, and contract negotiations, check and double check to make sure these keywords are not only in your resume, but are also fully developed in the form of at least one accomplishment
3. Be realistic. It's okay to aim high, but you also need to be sure that the job you're applying for matches your skills set. We all aspire to be the CEO of a large global industry leader, but you must be realistic and perform a self-analysis to be sure you are fully qualified for positions at this level. So you may consider saying "middle management" instead of "executive management."
4. Make sure your resume is in order. Make sure your resume contains a strong summary addressing the question of why you are the best candidate for the job. You'll also want your experience section to read like a value-added story filled with your achievements rather than simply a list of job responsibilities.

Remember that the employment market is very competitive. There are many on-line, print and networking opportunities available to you. Try them all as you will increase your chances and expedite the time in which it takes you to land a job interview.

Here’s wishing you much success with your job search!

About the Author
Barbara Adams, President & CEO of CareerPro Global, the parent company of www.careerproplus.com and www.militaryresumewriters.com, Ms. Adams has been a member of the careers community for the past 17 years. She holds three prestigious industry certifications. CareerProPlus is one the fastest growing Military, Federal and Civilian Resume Writing and Careers Coaching companies in the industry. Barbara's team of Certified Professional and Federal Writers assist thousands of veterans applying for and gaining Federal employment each year. Questions may be emailed to service@careerproplus.com.

All Copyrights Reserved.