Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Cory Booker’s (D-NJ) office today released a video aimed at assisting jobseekers with the online job application process and offering tips on how they can put their best professional foot forward online.
“Over the last two months, I have talked to so many long-term unemployed New Jerseyans who have found themselves in the job market after decades of steady employment,” Booker said. “During those discussions, one challenge I heard again and again was about how the job-seeking process has changed. After listening to the frustrations of many experienced workers who now find themselves returning to the job market, I wanted to share some practical best practices to assist them in maximizing their online presence. Now more than ever, it is vital that New Jersey’s jobseekers are ready to effectively represent themselves in a job market that is competitive and constantly evolving.”
According to a study commissioned by Microsoft, 79 percent of employers now conduct an online search of applicants. Seventy percent say they have turned down applicants by what they found online. However, only 7 percent of job applicants were concerned about their online reputations.
The video is being distributed to employment centers in New Jersey, many of which Booker visited during his recent efforts to underscore the need for Congress to extend federal emergency unemployment for the long-term jobless. At a number of the stops, he was asked to promote best practices for applying to jobs online.
The most recent attempt to pass legislation extending unemployment insurance fell just one vote shy of passage in the Senate.
“I’m going to continue to push to renew long-term unemployment insurance for the more than 100,000 New Jerseyans who desperately need it, but when our neighbors need help, we need to do everything we can to lend them a hand up,” Booker said. “My hope is that this video will be a helpful starting point for folks re-entering an employment environment that has changed dramatically over the last decade,” Booker said. “Whether it’s your first job out of college or your last job before retirement, first impressions are often developed through what we share online.”