Landing a job is no walk in the park, and some recruiters will make you feel like you're jumping through narrow hoops of fire. To get some tips for job seekers, Bored Panda reached out to Nathan Soto. He's a Career Expert from online resume building platform Resume Genius.
"To stand out in today’s job market, job seekers should focus on three essentials: staying on top of industry trends, building genuine connections, and nailing interviews," Soto told us during our interview.
He adds that job seekers should follow companies and industry leaders online to stay current on the latest developments in their field. "Networking (both online and in person) can lead to advice and referrals you wouldn’t find otherwise," advises Soto.
"When it comes to interviews, do your homework on the company, practice answers that highlight your skills, and come ready with smart questions about the company and position to show you’re serious about the role."
Soto says job seekers should think twice about responding to job ads that are more than 2 months old, because they might be ghost job postings. "Ghost jobs are positions that are advertised but aren’t actively being recruited for," explained Soto. "Check the company's website or social media accounts to verify that the job you want is cross-posted there."
The expert says a major red flag during the recruitment process is receiving extensive pre-interview assignments where you're asked to do work that could be directly used by the company to make money.
"Another potential red flag is when you’re interacting with hiring managers who can't clearly answer questions about the role, and interviewers who haven't looked at your resume," he cautioned.
Soto tells Bored Panda that employers are looking for candidates who have the skills they need. "Whether you show it through your experience or through qualifications, what matters most is that you have those skills," he said.
"Impressive experience can usually make up for a lack of qualifications, and likewise the right qualifications can often make up for a lack of experience in a specific job."
More than 60% of the American workforce doesn't have a college degree, but that's not stopping them from earning big bucks. According to CNBC, many of the country's top companies, including Walmart, Amazon, Apple, GM, Bank of America, Uber, Nike, Delta Air Lines, and Target are removing degree requirements from job postings.
CNBC adds that it's becoming more common for companies to hire based on skills rather than qualifications.
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“Gen Z job seekers are increasingly foregoing college and seeking out meaningful, lucrative work that doesn't require a university degree," revealed another Resume Genius career expert, Eva Chan, in a press release.
"Along with a shift from experience-based hiring to skills-based hiring, this creates the perfect conditions for people to consider a variety of fulfilling roles they may have never considered before," added Chan.
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Resume Genius recently released its "10 Highest Paying Jobs Without A Degree In 2025" report. Topping the list is an elevator and escalator installer and repairer, who has a median annual salary of $102,420. Instead of a college degree, recruiters are looking for those with a high school diploma and a 4-year apprenticeship, along with a state license or certification.
Transportation, storage, and distribution managers aren't faring too bad either, with a median salary of around $99,200. There are about 211,800 jobs available in that sector and the typical educational requirements are a high school diploma with no work experience needed. Of course, that varies from company to company.
If you're an electrical power-line installer and repairer, you could rake in $85,420 a year. Again, no degree needed. But you will need a high school diploma or GED, as well as an apprenticeship and hands-on classroom instruction.
If you fancy life on the edge while serving and protecting, you'll be glad to know you can earn around $74,910 as a detective or criminal investigator. You'll need a high school diploma, and some fairly stringent police academy training. According to Resume Genius, there are more than 790,000 jobs available.
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