Expert-Approved Tips To Speed Up Your Job Search
If you are looking for a job, we know you may be overwhelmed with the number of options that are currently laid out on the table. Although you may have significant experience finding work in the past, industries often change, making it difficult to keep up with an ever-evolving job market.
If you are planning to search for a job soon, here are some expert tips you can use to speed up the process.
Review Your Resume
Before you reach out to an employer, you should acknowledge that recruiters often read through more than a hundred resumes daily. In most cases, they will only have enough time to briefly review each one, meaning your window of opportunity can be very slim.
If your message is not clear, and the recruiter may be unable to pinpoint exactly what you bring to the table. This will make the hiring decision quick, but it likely won’t go in your favor. This makes it very important that job applicants review their resumes of clarity and relevance before sending them in.
To review your resume, simply compare it to the position you are applying for. Look for keywords that describe the position, then work to include information that relates to what you’ve found. This is one of the most important documents you will work on in your career, so work hard to adapt your resume based on the circumstances.
Aim For The Best Return Possible
Many people don’t think their effectiveness rate when applying for jobs, but doing so can be a gamechanger in your job hunt. This is because job boards have a less than 5% effectiveness rate, compared to networking which is known to have an effectiveness rate above 50%.
If you start by searching for employers that match your interests, you’ll be in a good spot to inform a job search. Rather than applying directly to the jobs, you find, instead, search for people that you can connect with. If you have someone make an introduction, you may have a better chance of scoring a position.
Some routes you could take include connecting with a company’s employees via LinkedIn. You can join groups and other conversations located on the site to get involved with specific members of the popular platform. You can also use other social media networks or networks in person.
Doing this removes you from the passive cycle of waiting for the right job to appear on your browsing boards. When you can be more active in your job search, you have more opportunities to find positions you are interested in.
Hone In Your Online Presence
When you apply for a job, recruiters will likely search for your name to learn more about you. If you are in an industry where you’ve been required to leave a trail of online information behind, you should ensure that it is all in alignment with your true character. You wouldn’t want employers to see any posts that make you appear to be a less valuable candidate.
You should also do things to ensure that your most valuable features are showcased online. In many cases, having your name attached to a reputable blog or social media page can prove valuable in some industries.
Decide On Specific Goals
You must be disciplined in your job search if you want it to succeed. By setting firm goals for yourself, you can ensure that you make progress over time. For example, you may prefer to set aside time each week to make calls and submit applications. While you could just tell yourself you’ll do both of these things, it would be better to set a more specific goal. Instead of just saying you need to make calls and submit applications, set a number for how many people you need to call or companies you need to send applications to.
Keep in mind, this tactic typically works best for people who are seeking employment using networking as their primary method.
Apply In Person
If your job search is hinged entirely on job boards, you are missing out on a lot of opportunities. Rather than spending all of your job search time looking for work on job boards, you could instead research some companies in your area and visit them in person. While it isn’t exactly common for this to result in a hire, the odds are much higher than for job boards. Though, even if you don’t get hired from visiting a company in person, having your resume on file with them is sometimes beneficial.
Start Your Search
Now that you’ve got this bonus information available to help you on your job hunt, it’s time to get started. Remember, you need to look all around to find the perfect job, and that includes areas outside of job boards.