We’ve all been in this situation at least once in our careers. You spend days upon days going through job ads, hours upon hours tweaking your resume to fit each position, prepare to attend countless interviews, and then… nothing.
You’re back right at the beginning of the cycle, going through more job ads and wondering if you’ll ever get out of this loop. Chances are, there’s something missing in your job-search process. Maybe your resume isn’t ATS-friendly (scanner friendly) and never made it to a recruiter’s hands. Or maybe you’re not looking for ads in the right places. Whatever it might be, we’ll teach you how to fix it with essential job search tips! To make this an easier read, we split up the job search tips into 3 different categories for your convenience. Job-Search Tips - Everything you need to know about the job-search process itself. Resume Tips - A resume can make or break your job search. In this section, we’ll give you all the essential tips on making a convincing resume. Interview Tips - Not a fan of interviews? At first, no one is! But with our interview tips, you’ll feel more confident than ever.
There’s a lot to cover, so let’s get right to it!
Remember, if you feel overwhelmed during any job-seeking process, visit Career Connections Powered by Goodwill South MS and someone will be happy to help you get on the right path.
Job-Search
Check out everything you need to know about the job-search process itself.
Identify Your Career Goals
Before beginning your job search, especially if you’re a recent graduate or you’re changing careers, you need to sort out your career goals and narrow down your search. If you’re just looking for any random job, you won’t even know where to start your search from. Instead, ask yourself: What industry am I aiming for? What specific position? Do I have a dream job? If yes, what steps do I need to take in order to get there? Asking these questions will help you figure out what exactly it is that you’re looking for.
Dedicate Time to the Search
Looking for a job is not a part-time engagement or a weekend activity. You need to be constantly on the lookout. Schedule a number of hours/day or some specific days/week that you will dedicate to your job search and don’t stop until you have a few interviews lined up. Alternatively, you can also set a goal to apply for 10 - 20 jobs on a daily basis.
If you need help, try networking with Career Connections Powered by Goodwill where one of our Success Coaches can walk you through an automation process.
Don’t Limit Your Search to Online Resources
Social media has been revolutionary. As 73% of young adults claimed they found a job through a social media website. That’s a lot! However, it doesn’t mean you should close the door to other opportunities. Attend job fairs, reach out to hiring managers, or use a career counseling service. Nothing bad can come out of expanding opportunities and taking advantage of all job search options.
Make Networking Part of Your Everyday Life
Some positions get filled internally or through networking, without ever being published. In fact, some experts say between 70-85% of people found their jobs through networking, and it makes sense. Companies are more likely to hire someone that comes with a recommendation from a trusted source than someone they found on the internet. Networking is becoming one of the most efficient ways to find a job and you should take advantage of that. Get out there, have face-to-face conversations with people, build connections and strengthen already existing ones. Make sure they know where you currently are professionally and where you aim to go, and learn the same about them as well. Rather than a task, you should look at networking as a way of living.
Keep Yourself Busy
While you’re looking for a job, you can invest some of your time in improving yourself. You can take an online course, volunteer, or do an internship related to the position/industry you are trying to get into. This will not only be a great way to expand your network of contacts, but it will also give you something new to add to your resume, and that’s always a plus.
Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile
Apart from being a great platform for networking and connecting with other professionals, LinkedIn is also a key tool in searching for and finding a job.
Did you know that every 7 seconds, someone gets hired through LinkedIn? That’s crazy! So, what this means is that you should view your profile not only as a social media profile but also as a resume of a kind. Best case scenario, you’ll have recruiters reaching out and inviting YOU for jobs, not the other way around!
So, make sure to optimize your LinkedIn profile by:
1. Using a professional profile photo
2. Having the right headline and summary
3. Keeping it up to date with your education, work experiences, and skills.
Use Several Job-Search TOOLS
There are a ton of job-search websites out there, so picking the right one can be a bit confusing. Here are some of our favorites.
Job-search websites for everyone:
Indeed - Type in your job title keywords and location and poof, you’ll get thousands of different company career pages. You can also create your own profile.
LinkedIn - View job listings based on location, seniority level, etc AND network and connect with other professionals.
Glassdoor - You can search for jobs based on job type, salary, range, and distance and also look at data for average salaries in a field or company.
Job.com - After uploading your resume, the website uses artificial intelligence and automation to match you up with job opportunities.
Monster - You can look for jobs based on keywords, location, etc. Bonus: You can get career advice based on your application.
Niche-based job-search websites:
Hired - Connects tech workers with IT companies.
Internships - Entry-level jobs, summer opportunities, paid and unpaid internships.
Behance - Job opportunities and portfolio showcase for all creatives.
Public Relations Society - View job listings in corporate communications, media, PR.
ProBlogger - Job listings and resources for all kinds of writers (blogs, copy, social media, etc.).
Workew - Remote jobs in marketing, development, UX and design, sales, writing, mostly in startups and SMBs.
WeWorkRemotely - Remote positions in software engineering, marketing, writing, editing, customer support, etc.
Do Your Research
Employment is a two-way thing: You need to be the right fit for the company, but the company needs to be the right fit for you as well. When searching for positions to apply for, don’t just go for whatever is available. Do your research and look into the company, their values, salaries etc. If the company is not a good match, you’ll have spared both you and them the time. You can learn more about potential employers through Glassdoor, where you can read company reviews, check salary ranges, and more.
Resume
A resume can make or break your job search. In this section, we’ll give you all the essential tips on making a convincing resume.
1. Prepare your Resume (To Get Invited For That Interview)
Alright, so you did the search, found the positions you’re interested in and now it’s time for the next step: officially applying by sending in your resume.
Your resume is how you first introduce yourself to recruiters and it’s how they form their first impression of you.
That means you should give your resume every bit of attention you can and make sure you present yourself as best as you can.
Here are our 15+ resume tips on how to do that.
1) Use an Online Resume Builder
2) Tailor Your Resume to the Job
3) Photo or No Photo?
4) Be Consistent With Formatting
5) Proofread!
6) Cut the Fluff
7) Don’t Use Personal Pronouns
8) Use a Resume Objective or Summary
9) Direct Only to Relevant Social Media
10) Emphasize Your Job Title
11) Don’t lie
12) Have an ATS-Friendly Resume
13) Use a Reverse-Chronological Resume Format
14) Aim for a 1-Page Resume
15) Focus on Achievements Over Responsibilities
16) Be specific
INTERVIEW
Not a fan of interviews? At first, no one is! But with our interview tips, you’ll feel more confident than ever.
Image via Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels.com
Ace That Interview
1) Be Presentable
2) Research the Company's Culture, Mission, and Services
3) Prepare Answers for the Common Interview Questions Beforehand
4) Prepare Questions for the Interviewer
5) Mind Your Attitude
6) Be Honest
7) Practice, But Don’t Memorize
8) Back-Up Your Claims
9) Maintain Good Body Language
10) Don’t Badmouth Previous Employers
11) Prepare for Situational Interview Questions
12) Be On Time (a.k.a. Early)
13) Don’t Go Overboard With Your Answers
14) Know Your Audience
15) Be Prepared to Face Concerns
16) Follow Up After the Interview
Key Takeaways
That’s a lot of things to remember, right? But better safe than sorry!
Let’s go over the most important tips one last time:
1. Make use of networking and both online and non-online job search opportunities.
2. Use a resume builder to write a one-page, job-tailored resume that makes it past ATS.
3. Proofread and make sure there are no typos or grammatical errors.
4. Go to interviews early, rested, and with a positive attitude.
5. Prepare your answers for the most common interview questions and learn to use the STAR method for answering behavioral ones.
Good luck!