Top 25 Ways You Can Immediately Improve Your Job Search
Don't sit on the sidelines. There are new jobs out there. Apply, Apply, ApplyDon't sit on the sidelines. There are new jobs out there. Apply, Apply, Apply
- Register on the Top 5 Job Boards.
- Sort the search results by date, not by relevance. This way you see positions as they come online each day and in some cases, every few hours.
- You need to apply to positions within 24-48 hours of them being posted. This way you are in the first wave of applicants. In the current job market, if you are not in the first wave you may as well not even apply.
- Don't apply to 10-20 positions a week. Apply to 10-20 positions a day (if not more). No one knows how long the job market will take to rebound. Days, weeks or months. No one really knows. The more positions you apply top the better chance you have of getting interviews.
- Check the new openings at least 2x per day. Once in the morning and once in the late afternoon as new positions get posted overnight and before the end of the day.
- Inject a variation of descriptive action and goal oriented words throughout your resume.
- Don't just show roles and responsibilities, but also quantifiable and measurable accomplishments and achievements.
- Think short term as well as long-term. What types of positions can I get right now to earn an income (Contract, Freelance, Temp).
- Think locally or remote. With so many people out of work around the country and around the world, apply either locally or for remote positions. Companies will most likely not consider candidates for relocation when they have so many applicants to pick from in their local market. Most companies will not even look at your resume if you are from another city than where the position is physically located.
- Use different variations of your search. Titles are different at different companies. Use Manager, Mgr. Vice President, VP, Director, Sales or Business Development, Human Resources or HR.
- Download the mobile Apps to your phone so you will not miss out on opportunities if you are not at your desk.
- Keep a copy of the most updated version of your resume on your phone so you can apply any time and from anywhere.
- Respond to requests for interviews from companies within a few hours. If you take any longer, the company will think you are not interested and move on to the next candidate.
- Update and Optimize Your LinkedIn profile.
- Get recommendations - they increase your ranking in the search results
- Update your skills sections.
- Create a LinkedIn profile headline that defines you. NOT - Seeking New Opportunities.
- Write a professional summary that summaries your entire career into 2 paragraphs. It’s the first thing a hiring manager or recruiter will read and it sets the tone for the whole resume or LinkedIn profile. If it doesn't grab their attention, they will never get to page 4 of your resume.
- You never get a 2nd chance to make a first impression.
- Setup alerts based upon titles, geography, years of experience, salary and industry specific keywords. Don't search for jobs. Set up your profiles so they come to you each day Investigate remote work opportunities. This will exponentially increase the number of positions that you can apply to.
- Take Lynda, LinkedIn Learning , Lynda training our courses from Udemy or Coursera.
- Join Career and Job Search Groups and Communities.
- Get outside and exercise and clear your head.
- Don't sit on the sidelines. There are new jobs out there. Apply, Apply, Apply.