Gen Z College Graduates Turn to “Resume Stalking” Amid Job Market Challenges
As Gen Z college graduates face a challenging job market characterized by hiring slowdowns and career uncertainty, a new strategy dubbed “resume stalking” is gaining traction. This approach helps job seekers identify career patterns and potential paths by analyzing the professional trajectories of successful individuals in their desired fields.
Gorick Ng, a career adviser at Harvard University, recommends using LinkedIn to study professionals with desirable careers. “Resume stalking allows job seekers to reverse-engineer career paths and gain valuable insights into the steps needed to achieve their goals,” Ng explains.
The process involves several steps. First, job seekers search for company leadership bios on corporate websites. They then use Google to find LinkedIn profiles by searching for names, companies, and titles. Finally, they analyze career trajectories, roles, tenure, education, and skills of professionals in their target positions.
To help narrow down career interests, Ng suggests job seekers ask themselves three key questions: Which industries or company names sound appealing? What interesting brands or logos do they encounter in daily life? Where would they like to live, and who are the major employers in those locations?
Ng compares the job search process to the game Battleship, emphasizing the importance of finding the intersection between desired functions (company departments) and industries (sectors). “By using resume analysis, job seekers can better understand the steps needed to reach their ideal career role,” he states.
As the job market continues to evolve, resume stalking offers a practical approach for Gen Z graduates to navigate their career paths. By exploring and identifying patterns in successful professionals’ careers, job seekers can develop more effective strategies to achieve their own career goals.
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