4 Mistakes Stopping New Graduates & Young Job Seekers From Getting Hired

Even with news of the Great Resignation, it’s still a big challenge to get a job in today’s age. Everyone’s been affected, but the group that’s been most impacted are the recent graduates and those with just a couple of years of experience. There’s new research showing employers are expecting so much from entry-level positions, so how can you stand out?

We spoke to TikTok’s favorite Career Coach and LinkedIn Top Voice, Sho Dewan, to get his thoughts. With over 210,000+ followers across social media, he’s helped thousands land new roles with his career coaching & training company Workhap and works closely with top business schools to help their graduates be prepared for what’s to come in their careers.

These are the four biggest mistakes he sees from recent graduates and young talent when they enter the job market.

• They rely solely on their resume to get them hired

While a resume is one of the most crucial elements in your job search, it alone won’t get you hired for a highly competitive role. What you need to supplement it is a good network and a consistent outreach strategy to connect with more people in your industry. According to statistics, 60% of jobs are found through networking. 

Sho suggests you to start with easy connections on LinkedIn to start building up your network. “Start with connecting with your peers from school, past Alumni who work at companies you are interested in, and mutual connections with careers you admire,” says Sho, who was awarded one of the top 10 Career Coaches globally on the LinkedIn Top Voices list for his job search & career advice on the platform. Once you get the ball rolling and initiating casual conversations, you’ll start to see that your resume has even more weight to it than it did in the beginning.

• Their resume is not targeted enough

Statistics show that about 75% of resumes never reach the hiring manager. Not customizing their resume exactly to the job description is one of the most common mistakes that young talents make. There’s usually an overemphasis on the brands they worked at but not enough focus on the bullet points in the experiences and the specific skills required for the job. Metrics, data, and keywords will always outweigh fluff and a flashy design. Treat your resume as a sales document to highlight your biggest wins and your chances of getting an interview will skyrocket.

• They’re not clear on what they want

The worst thing you can say when a recruiter asks what kind of role you want is “anything.” The best hires are not generalists; they are subject matter experts in a particular field or function. Before you go out and apply to every role that is open, get crystal clear on what kind of role and company you’d love to work for. When you define your goal, you’ll allow your brain to focus on it without getting distracted by other roles that don’t align to your priorities. This simple shift is what the top talents do to hone in on roles that they want and brand themselves for it. For example, if you’re interested in an IT role, you need to create the best IT resume that stands out and will land on a manager’s desk. You need to weave in keywords that make sense for an IT-specific point of view. You also need to include your updated contact information, a resume objective, work experience, educational background, skills, and then wrap it up with references.

• They don’t know how to stand out

Did you know that every opening gets over 200+ applications. When you’re just a number out of hundreds, it’s easy to get lost in that mix. So the best thing you can do if you’re looking for a new role is to see what everyone else is doing…and then do the opposite! Instead of just relying on Easy Apply on LinkedIn, make connections with the hiring team. Before submitting your resume, take the time to understand what the team is missing and add those key requirements into your portfolio. If you want the job you’ve never had, you need to do things you’ve never done!

It may feel daunting to enter the job market in 2021, but in his experience with working with clients from all over the world, Sho knows that with the right strategies, new graduates and early professionals can land their target roles in the companies they’ve always wanted to work at. He tells young aspiring professionals to remember to keep track of their progress and not just focus on the end result. A win is a WIN!

You can learn more about Sho and his team at Workhap on their website: www.workhap.com and their social media channels here:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/workhap

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@workhap

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/workhap

• YouTube: https://www.linkedin.com/company/youtube

• Sho’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shodewan/