Stephanie Amos is a Senior Recruitment Specialist at Acara Solutions. With over seven years of experience in the talent acquisition industry, Stephanie works with employers and job candidates to make knowledgeable hiring decisions and ensure both parties align in their values and goals. In this blog, she helps job seekers understand why they might consider new career opportunities, how to enhance their resumes, and more.

1. What are some reasons people are looking for new jobs?

Job hopping—when a person only works at one place for a year or two and then decides to move on—has become much more common in recent years. Once frowned upon, today’s tight labor market means that experienced workers are more valuable—and they know it. So they’re free to shop their services to see if they can get more or do more, and so on. People usually leave their jobs for increased compensation, flexible work options (hybrid or remote), better work-life balance, professional growth opportunities, a positive company culture, stability, security, or better benefits.

Related: The 5 Advantages and Disadvantages of Job Hopping

2. How can job seekers get noticed by recruiters or hiring managers?

LinkedIn is a powerful tool for job seekers, so the better you know the platform, the better you’ll do in the job market. I’m always attracted to well-done LinkedIn profiles:

• I want a job candidate to look the part—having a clean, clear, professional headshot as their LinkedIn photo.
• I then look for a person’s demonstrable interest in the job they’re applying for—so their LinkedIn posts, groups, and interests should reflect the position they’re applying for. If job seekers aren’t active in their field, it’s a turnoff, and I’ll move along.
• Your dates of employment should be current and reflect your resume.
• If you are not actively seeking a new position, turn off the open-to-work feature. I can’t tell you how many times I have attempted to reach an “open to work” candidate who never replies.
• If you are not interested in the position, reply to the recruiter or refer someone who might be a good fit.

Related: How to Land a Great Job Without a College Degree

3. What’s the best answer to “Tell me about yourself?”

Job seekers need to understand that this question truly asks, “How did you become interested in this role, why do you want it, and what have you done to deserve it?” The best answer will mention past experiences and proven success and highlight your personality. Be sure to share transferable skills—or portable skills—that you have acquired through a prior career, education, hobbies, or volunteer work that ”transfer” to the role you are interviewing for.

Related: 6 Ways to Nail Your Phone Interview

Related: 20 Job Interview Tips You Need to Know

Related: 7 Questions to Ask in a Final Interview

4. Tell us three things you love to see on a resume and why.

My favorite element of a good resume is that it is brief, easy to read, and relevant to the position you’re applying for. To be clear, your resume should only be more than a page long if you’ve been in the workforce for over 10 or 12 years. Your resume should be tight, and when you bullet your points, you make it easy to read, which is helpful. Finally, I always like to see measurables that demonstrate success. So if you say you’re a social media manager, tell me how you’ve boosted social numbers.

Related: 3 Mistakes to Avoid on Your Resume

5. What general advice would you give to job seekers in 2023?

There are currently around twice as many job openings as unemployed people, with an unemployment rate at its lowest in over 50 years. But it takes, on average, three months to find a new job right now. Do your homework. Prepare. Breathe easy. Be yourself. Highlight your achievements and ensure your resume professional summary reflects the position you’re applying for. Go online and check out helpful resources for job seekers, use technology to your advantage, grow your professional network, and ask for referrals.

Related: After Talking to a Recruiter, Take These Four Steps

Are you seeking a new career opportunity or one-on-one help from a recruitment professional? Connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn and check out our open positions!