8 Tips to Make Your Job Search Easier

8 Tips to Make Your Job Search Easier Image via Isorepublic.com Take advantage of the Internet In the digital age, job searching is significantly different than it was thirty years ago. Job recruiters place much more emphasis on the Internet nowadays, so you should, too! You can take advantage of the wonderful resources the Internet has to offer for job searchers in many ways. For example: Create a LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is a powerful tool for recruiters and for job searchers. If you don’t already have a profile, set one up. It will only take a few minutes, but it will make you visible to recruiters who are searching for applicants on there. If you already have a profile, update it with any recent information and with a recent, professional looking picture. Try to use it often, too, so people know that you are active. “Like” pages every once in a while and give your colleagues good endorsements (they might return the favor and give you a good endorsement, too.) Being active on LinkedIn with a good profile will make you more visible to recruiters and will make jobs more visible to you, making it overall easier to find a job that suits you. Use job search engines Another online tool you can use to find a job is a job search engine. It’s as simple as signing up, entering the criteria for a job you want, and the search engine will return a list of jobs that match your criteria. You can use more popular job search engines like Monster, or lesser known ones. Even if you don’t find anything for your specific position, it’s still good to know what’s available. Sign up for email job alerts Continuing from the previous point, these job search engines (and LinkedIn, too) often have the option to sign up for email alerts. I would highly recommend this, as it is very convenient to be alerted via email when there is an opening for a position you are interested in. Be organized Just like college applications, it’s important to be organized in your job applications. Make an Excel spreadsheet with the company and position you applied to, and the date you applied. Also, write down the dates of any interaction you have with the company (for example, if you call them to ask about the status of your application, write that information down in your spreadsheet!). This spreadsheet will help you keep track of all the places you applied to and when, as it is very easy to forget these details. Use your professional development resources If you are still a student, you likely have many professional development resources at your disposal. Your school will likely have a career or professional development center that you can visit. Make an appointment with them, and they will help you write your resume and cover letter. They can also help you prepare for interviews, once you do hear back from the company you applied to. Your school’s career center might also host professional development seminars. These are definitely worth attending, too. Use the professional development resources that are available to you as a student. Tailor your application to make yourself an obvious good fit Job postings are helpful when filling out your application because it will spell out exactly what the company is looking for in their new hire. The job posting should outline skills and experience that the company wants their new team member to have. When writing your application, keep the job posting next to you and tailor your application to fit what the company is looking for. You can even use the same keywords the job posting uses! For example, if they are looking for someone who has a great administrative ability, use your application to highlight your administrative ability. Or better yet, tell a story in which you demonstrate your amazing ability. When you tailor your application to make yourself a good fit for the company, the company is more likely to be interested in hiring you. Gain skills that are important for your industry What’s the hottest new skill needed in your field? Is it programming? Or knowing a foreign language? Figure out what this hot new skill is, and learn it. It will make you a much more attractive candidate. For example, in my field (the biological sciences), more and more people are learning various programming languages, as programs are becoming more important for data analysis. It would be a good idea for an aspiring researcher like me to learn how to code. An applicant who has this important new skill for their field is more likely to be hired. Yes, searching for a job is difficult. However, using resources like the Internet and your school will make it much easier.