Over the last 12 months it has been easier than ever to get a job. As industries recovered from the pandemic and supply chains started to get back on track, everyone needed help. From the local pub to the biggest suppliers it seemed everyone was looking for skilled workers, and the bar was set a lot lower. Inexperienced barbacks were suddenly bartenders, and people with no F&B experience were promoted to positions of management. Also, many experienced workers decided to make a career change during COVID so the pool of talent was unusually low.
Unfortunately, for people looking to make a change or upward move in their industry, the window of opportunity may be closing fast. As the USA nears one of the lowest unemployment rates in history, good jobs are getting harder to find. This is why it is important now more than ever to stand out in a crowd, and your resume might not be enough.
The first thing 99% of employers do when you apply for a job is a Google search. If you haven’t given any thought to your online presence I can guarantee it’s working against you. Most people have several social media profiles, and reviews posted on sites like Yelp, Amazon or Tripadvisor. Some even have mentions in the press, are on podcasts, or have blogs of their own. Problems can also occur if you have a common name, or the name of a celebrity, which makes sorting Google results nearly impossible. The goal is to showcase your best accomplishments at the top of the first page. Unfortunately much of what people see when they Google you is out of your control. Let’s try and change that.
Entire books have been written on polishing your web presence so I won’t go into detail here, but it’s important you learn the basics; go back and clean up your social media, contact sites with negative info on you and ask them to take it down, and delete any old accounts that don’t reflect who you are now. The sad truth is you probably won’t be able to curate the perfect Google page, but I have an idea that can help.
Chances are there is at least one place on the internet you would like prospective employers to notice, be it your LinkedIn, an article written about you, even your Instagram, or in my case – my personal bio. Wouldn’t it be great if you could somehow guide them to the page you want them to see? You can, with a great little modern piece of technology: the QR code.
A QR code is easy to create, and links directly to anywhere on the web. Using that little QR code, you can decide exactly where you want anyone holding your resume (or business card, or proposal, etc.) to land. Just find the URL, create the QR code, and paste it where you want it.
Several tools exist for creating QR codes but the easiest is built right into Google Chrome. Navigate to the page you want to link to, click the share icon in the address bar, and choose QR code. That’s it! Chrome for Android or IOS works similarly, just click the three dots and choose share, then choose QR code. Once you download the code all you have to do is paste it where you want it and you’re done!
With the proliferation of QR codes during the pandemic people are more familiar with them than ever. By using this technology you can set yourself apart from the crowd and have more control of your web presence than ever before. Use your imagination! Link it to a small video introducing yourself, or to a landing page with all your favorite web links about yourself. The possibilities are only limited by what you can dream up. Control your future by controlling your presence.