People are always looking for innovative job search strategies to set themselves apart from the competition. But it’s important to have the basics down, the most essential elements your job search will need to include if you want to succeed as quickly as possible.
If your job search is off to a slow start, here are some quick and basic tips that will help your hunt for a new job go more smoothly as you navigate the job maze:
- Be Prepared. Have a voice mail system in place and sign-up for a professional sounding email address. Consider getting a separate email account to use for your job search, so you can stay organized. Put your cell phone number on your resume so you can follow up in a timely manner.
- Be More Than Prepared. Always have an up-to-date resume ready to send – even if you are not currently looking for work. You never know when an opportunity that is too good to pass up might come along. If you’re not on LinkedIn yet, create a LinkedIn Profile and start making connections who can help you job search.
- Time Savers. Strapped for time? Consider getting professional help writing or editing your resume.
- Get Social. Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter can be a good way to get job listings before they are listed elsewhere. Plus, you can promote your candidacy using the social media tools that are readily available for free for job seekers and companies are increasingly using social media for recruiting.
- Look for hidden vacancies. Instead of advertising their available jobs, employers often look to fill vacancies by word-of-mouth, headhunting or simply by recruiting internally. Knowing how to get yourself in contention for these roles could give you a major boost when it comes to finding your next role.
- Get employers to come to you. Getting headhunted is no longer the preserve of employees in senior management. When you post your resume online, you are immediately putting your details within reach of thousands of employees may save you the trouble of searching through job adverts.
- Target the right companies. Do you want to be a big fish in a small pond or would you rather have the safety of a large organization with job security and a clear career path? Knowing what you want allows you to narrow down your search and spend more time on applying for the roles you really want.
- Build a network. Networking is getting to know people who can help you develop your career prospects. You don’t need to be a big shot or the most outgoing person in the world to network effectively, just keep your ears open and listen for information that could work to your advantage.
- Don’t Stop. Don’t limit your job searching to the top sites like Monster or CareerBuilder. Check the smaller niche sites that focus on a particular geographic location or career field and you will find plenty of job listings. Networking works, too. Tap into your network of contacts to see who might be able to help you with job leads or a referral.
- Keep your spirits up. As time passes, the rejections mount up and the budgets get tighter, it’s easy to become disheartened. However, this is exactly the time when you need to dust yourself off and put in more hard work than ever. One of the main attributes of a successful job seeker is persistence.
Finding a new job can almost be a job unto itself. But if you persevere and remain confident, you’ll have a new job in no time.
Tags: CPRW, facebook, job search, job sites, LinkedIn, networking, online brand, recruiters, resume, twitter, Tyrone Norwood