How employable are you?
CHICAGO, IL -- Here are a few tips to applying for a job in the information age. Cover Letters Matter: Your cover letter should be in pure text and in the body of an email. The topic sentence should be awesome and separate you from the pack. Resumes Matter: Take the time to craft your resume for the job you're applying for. If you haven't worked in the industry before, say it in the cover letter and say why you feel your experience will apply. If you have worked in the industry, figure out what your resume should look like for this opportunity.
Honesty Matters: Don't put "Expert in Microsoft Office" on your resume if you are just "proficient." Employers have no time for people who cannot do honest self-assessments of their capabilities. Work Ethic Matters: Employers want people around them who are self-starters, identify issues and offer solutions. Skills Matter: Yes, you will learn a great deal on the job, but you need to come to the opportunity with very high-level digital skills.
What if you don't have the necessary skills to land the job? This is the key to everyone's future. You must acquire them. No one can afford to hide behind the affectation that "Digital is for the kids." It's nonsense, and it's a virtual guarantee that you are unemployable in the 21st century. Social media is being used to "Occupy" places and overthrow governments. If you're not using social media, you are at a strict disadvantage.
