By: Joy Kurber, Healthtech Practice Lead at Carex Consulting Group
The Job Market: Is it What You Know or Who You Know to land your next dream job?
Have you ever been on the job market and have applied for 100’s of jobs online (that in your mind you meet all the qualifications for) and keep getting auto-rejected? If so, you’re not alone. In today’s competitive remote job market, it is something that I hear from the candidates I chat with every day. They have all the right job titles, certifications, degree, key words, etc but something just isn’t working. Which brings us to the question is it What You Know or Who You Know to land your next dream job?
While both are very important, in today’s market the ‘Who You Know ‘ seems to come first and then you have to follow it up with the ‘What You Know’.
Networking: Who You Know
So, let’s talk about networking. Building relationships and connections can often open doors that otherwise may have stayed closed. Whether it’s through professional associations, LinkedIn connections, or just people you know personally, networking is all about who can help you get a foot in the door and eyes on your resume.
Hidden Opportunities: Networking can sometimes lead to job openings that weren’t even advertised. Sometimes it’s all about who you know and the right timing.
Trust Factor: Employers often prefer candidates who are recommended by someone they trust. A good word goes a long way. Here at Carex Consulting Group, we love referral candidates, because someone has already vouched for them and there is a more instant rapport with them (by the way, did you know Carex has a referral bonus?!)
Recruiters: Find 1-2 agency recruiters that you trust. Agencies have their foot in the door and can advocate for you on your behalf to the hiring manager. The math works out a lot better if you are 1 of 5 candidates submitted for an open role versus applying online and being lost in the sea of thousands.
So, once you get your foot in the door via a professional connection or an agency recruiter, now is the time that the ‘What You Know’ comes into play.
Hard Skills: What You Know
Hard skills are your technical abilities – things like analyzing data, knowing how to code, designing graphics, go-to-market strategies, etc. These skills are tangible and measurable, and they’re crucial to being able to doing your job well. Once your foot is in the door, make sure your resume does a great job of highlighting specific skills and tasks that you have accomplished and be interview ready with specifics.
Easy to Measure: At a quick glance on the resume, do you hold the certifications or education level that are preferred for this role? Do you have the right Key Words within your resume that are relevant to the job? Make sure these things stand out on your resume.
Job-Specific Needs: Many jobs require specific technical skills. For instance, a data analyst needs to know how to work with data visualization tools. Make sure that if someone is putting in a good word for you, that you meet/exceed the job-specific requirements.
Immediate Impact: If you have the right hard skills, you can start contributing from day one without much handholding.
The Balance of Who You Know and What You Know
The truth is both matter a lot. Having great hard skills without any network might leave you invisible to employers, while having a strong network but lacking the right skills won’t get you far either. Both networking and skillsets are essential to finding your next dream job. The job market today demands that you be great at what you do and that you know the right people to get noticed. So keep sharpening those hard skills and don’t forget to nurture your network. That way, you’ll be well-prepared to find the right opportunities and thrive in your career.
Need help in the networking area, Carex Consulting Group is a great place to start! Good luck in your job search!
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This is the start of our Recruiting Myths: Busted! series, where we break down common recruiting myths.