Whatever
your career goal and your dream, either to get a job in a global company like "Google"
or just get a job that brings you "happiness" only, the job search
journey always comes full of anxiety and exhaustion where waiting for results
is long.
As we await a new year full of drastic changes as we adapt to the latest patterns of technology and our new reality of remote work, work from home, and online work patterns, there are some steps that you can take to ease the stress of the job search phase and speed up finding the right job.
17
Effective Tips to Speed Up Your Job Search In 2022
Get
Creative with Your Job Search Strategy
With the competition
in the job market right now, you always have to keep being "creative."
Here are
three tips that will help you get the most out of your job search:
- Be proactive: If you don't like something about
your current job, identify ways you can improve the situation. For example, if
you want more money or benefits, discuss these matters with your manager before
the annual appraisal. And if you want to learn new skills, volunteer on
projects that help you develop them.
- Make it easy
for employers to reach you: you can start communicating with employers before they start searching
for candidates by identifying your areas of interest, searching for companies
working in these areas, looking at their websites, searching about their
services or products to identify shortcomings and finding solutions to them so
that you can communicate with them to put forward your solutions to problems
that they may not even know they exist.
- Get out of your room: About 80% of jobs are "hidden" jobs that are not posted online. So, get out of your room and attend career and employment events and fairs to get in touch with those professionals "in person."
Research
Your Target Industries Comprehensively
With the
diversity of income sources and economic changes in the coming decades, job
seekers will be more diverse and adaptable.
So, to get
the information you need about your field, be sure to read the official
industry reports, newspapers, build relationships, and meet experts and
professionals already working in the field.
You should
have an overview of the field before starting a career in it. Your industry
research will always speed you up for the job as the more information you read,
the people you meet, and the opportunities you discover.
Make Your
CV a Work of Art
Your resume
is one of the primary tools when searching for a job. So, it should be a work
of art that sells your strengths and grabs your employer's attention.
Here's how to optimize it:
- Put a catchy headline to get employers to read your resume.
- Choose a simple, easy-to-read resume template and make sure the font size is large enough to read.
- List all of your professional experience relevant to the job.
- Write down some of your goals that align with the organization's goals.
- Tailor your resume to each job posting and avoid the "one size fits all" rule.
- Read the job posting carefully and see if the company asks for specific requirements for this job (e.g., at least five years of work experience), then tailor your resume to the company's needs and show your familiarity with the field during your past years of work.
- Proofread your CV manually or electronically.
- Don't forget! Add your cover letter and explain why you are interested in working for the organization.
Create A Digital "Portfolio"
Since we are
in the age of "search engines," you have to realize that "Google"
and your "social media accounts" are your new digital resume, and
they are the first thing that catches the attention of employers.
So, treat them like a virtual 'portfolio' and update it regularly by adding your latest work and accomplishments.
And don't be
afraid to start now! All you have to do is collect the best samples of your
previous work (some articles, blogs, etc.), publish them on your LinkedIn and
Workfolio accounts, and then use your account link to apply for jobs directly.
The
Completion Profile will help you answer three basic questions: What did you do?
Can you do that again? And what is the price of your services? If your
accomplishments are buried in a scattering of documents, software, and
hardware, you cannot answer these questions.
Upgrade
Your Job Search Toolkit
Looking for
work is more "art" than a "science." While it still
requires attending career events, getting recommendations from friends, and
honing more skills, some new websites can help you find the perfect job that
you need to get to know well.
Dr. Job
Pro comes at the top of
the list of these sites as the site allows you to receive alerts about the latest
job advertisements from your favorite companies and your position in the
recruitment process.
The site
provides notifications of new jobs based on the keywords you use so that you
never miss an opportunity again.
The site
also features many ways to save jobs to apply for later and save employer
accounts to your file, so you are ready to apply for their vacancies.
Target
The Right Jobs
Write down
the ten key positions in your field of work or, if you're not working, life,
and then identify all the skills, qualifications, and experience required for
each position. Then look at each position and ask yourself: "Do I have
enough skills, qualifications, and experience to fill this position?" If
not, determine what you need to do next to meet the requirements of each
position.
Being aware
of what recruiters are looking for can make you more selective in your job
search. This way, you can choose jobs that will help you develop new skills and
credentials.
Target
The Right Companies
Identify the
best companies in your field, then gather information about each one. Find
their products, services, market position, and plans. If you can't find information
about a company, contact the people who do business with that company for their
insights.
This
information can help you apply for jobs with these companies more easily when
searching for a job.
The more you know about a company's structure,
goals, and competitors, the more prepared you will be to present yourself as
someone who can add value to that company's goals.
Create Your Digital Identity
Maintaining
a professional identity online is one of the most important steps you can take
to advance your career.
You might
say, "But I don't want to waste time on the Internet," which is not
what I mean by creating an online identity.
There are
many platforms on which your presence guarantees to enhance your professional
image with employers and industry experts, and among them come: Linkedin,
Quora, Twitter, Slideshare, and other platforms that help improve the
professional image of a person.
All you have
to do is post content that adds value to people's lives to ensure you get more
followers.
In addition
to building your audience and brand through content creation, you also need to
ensure that your online profile is current and complete. This includes all the
details you'll need to fill out an online application or upload your ATS
(Applicant Tracking System) compliant resume.
Make sure the information listed on your
resume matches the information on all of your social profiles. This way,
recruiters can easily match the two together and reach out to you if they are
interested in talking about your skills.
Create A Professional LinkedIn Page
Before creating a
LinkedIn profile, make sure you're ready to appear on the radar of recruiters and professionals in your field.
The
following steps will help you create an attractive professional profile that
will catch the attention of the most important employers:
- The content of your profile should focus on who you
are and how your background can help a potential employer solve any problems
they encounter.
- Include details about your education, skills,
experience, achievements, connections, and things that give potential employers
insight into what makes you unique.
- Use the specific fields provided by LinkedIn to
include the details recruiters are looking for.
- Include keywords related to your target field to
increase the chances of your profile appearing when searching for candidates
with specific qualifications.
Join Job
Sites Quickly
Job sites
are an essential and indispensable part of your job search journey.
The reasons
behind its effectiveness lie in:
- Job sites have
thousands of open jobs updated daily and all on one platform, making it easy to
see them all quickly.
- Job sites help
you keep your job search "secret" as no one notices your activity on
it.
- Job sites work
with the latest technological methods and artificial intelligence techniques.
There is no room for discrimination between candidates, as CVs are
automatically filtered without human intervention.
Send The
Right Message to Hiring Managers
To get the
right message across to hiring managers, you must understand the hidden message codes companies send out in job advertisements.
By that, we
mean making an effort to identify the company's actual needs and match your
skills and work experience with what they are looking for.
This ensures
that you get more interview invites and enhances your distinction among all
other candidates.
To begin
deciphering recruiters' messages, note the tone used in the job posting. Some
words are negative (always the problems), and some are positive (candidate
strengths). After taking your notes on the job posting, start crafting the job
application letter according to their needs.
Customize
Your Job Application
Sometimes,
recruiters will set a specific requirement regarding the job posting to
determine who can master the job and follow instructions. In some job
advertisements, we may read at the end of the ad, "The applicant must send
his CV in the form of a Word file" or "Please use the code "sic."
These conditions are necessary for your CV to pass.
By customizing your application, we don't mean writing a new resume and cover letter every time. Still, we suggest changing some sections to understand the keywords used in the job posting, adding information relevant to the position, and possibly deleting unsolicited sections.
Stop
Applying for Jobs You Don't Want
Many job
seekers think that they need to apply for all open positions and that leaving a
job without applying makes them lose out on a lot. This is a big mistake, as
randomly applying for jobs leaves a negative impression on recruiters because
it shows a lack of seriousness and adherence to the terms of the advertisement.
Random job applications can close all opportunities in large organizations that
rely on applicant tracking systems to identify candidates. The system marks
your resume as "spam" and prevents it from reaching HR managers
entirely.
Build
Relationships and Devote More Time to Communication
Communication
is such a great career booster that it should be maintained even if you are not
looking for a job. The jobs now go to the most professional and build
relationships with other professionals. A person does not get a job because another
person has a relationship with an employee within the organization.
Here we
would like to emphasize that the more people you know in your field, the higher
your chances of finding a job. So, it is worth putting in the time and effort
to connect with people in your field.
Ask For
References
A reference
is a contact who will give you information about the job or training. Usually,
the contact works at the place where you apply.
You can get
references through contacts you already have or by contacting people directly.
If you know
people who work where you want to work, ask them if they would be willing to be
a reference for you. Even if they cannot be a direct reference (for example,
because they do not have the authority to hire), they may be able to give you
some advice on how to get a job.
If you don't
know anyone who works there, search LinkedIn to find and connect with people
who work there.
You are more
likely to get helpful information from an employee than from a company website.
And it's worth taking the time to find someone who can give you good
information - it can make all the difference in getting the job!
Make A
Plan for Personal Interviews
An interview
can be a nerve-wracking experience.
The best way
to stay calm is to plan before the interview begins.
You should
find common job interview questions and prepare to answer them professionally.
By being prepared, we don't mean memorizing, but at least defining what you're
going to say so that you can answer smoothly in a nerve-wracking job interview.
Here we can help:
In the end, there's no one-size-fits-all strategy for searching for a job. But these 17 tips should help you speed up your job search, whether you're looking in 2022 or any other year.