The Real Value a Job Candidate Brings

From the archives - common questions worth re-addressing. Q: I enjoyed your entry on the reality of resumes and searching for a job. As frustrating as I know it all is, I think the entry is very true. I just can’t get past the fact that I have an impressive work history, and I bring a lot of talent and ideas to the table. Why won't the hiring system work in my favor?!

A: I think it's very interesting that you mention bringing "a lot of talent and ideas to the table" because you've tapped into something that is a source of great frustration for not only job candidates but also those on the other side of the table, including me...

How to meaningfully communicate and capture – beyond a static resume – the real value that a candidate brings.

As social networking becomes an even more profound reality in our personal and professional lives, I predict that job candidates and companies will further capitalize on how this can improve the entire scope of the hiring process. More specifically, I think social networking venues will continue to make it even easier for job candidates to communicate (and for companies to recognize) the value they bring.

Refreshingly, with the way that social networking works, connecting will be accomplished in a much more fluid manner than is currently the case in the old-school job hunting arena. Meaning that your talent will always be sort of "out there" and available for others to see, rather than limited to a resume, which is much less likely to be noticed. Make sense? Think about what's going on (in a big way) with, say, LinkedIn.  That gives you a better idea – just a small idea, actually – of the direction I think we are ultimately heading.

So, as a follow up to my last post... Yes, the job-search landscape is changing, and it will be exciting to see how things unfold as social networking nudges corporate / organizational hiring practices further into something more relevant for all involved.

Enjoy the holiday weekend!