Applying for jobs is exhausting. It’s time consuming, draining and often discouraging. You have to first find something that sounds appealing, then put together the materials, then send them off — it’s a long process!
But what if there were a way to make the whole process easier? Fortunately, you can do some things to build more connections and land more job interviews with less effort. Change your methods and go about job searching the smart, easy way using these tips.
The Internet never sleeps. Use that to your advantage. Create a personal website, publish it online and let the views flow in. Pretty effortless, right?
It does take some work initially: You’ll have to make a site that showcases your professional accomplishments, your designs — whatever it is you want to broadcast. But after that, your site will be up and available for people, and hopefully potential employers, to see.
Not sure how to launch a website? That’s fine! Check around online and look at what other people (particularly those in your field) are doing. After you’ve gathered some design and content ideas, follow tips to create a successful personal website. Voilá!
While you let the Internet work for you, eliminate chances for it to hurt you. Delete embarrassing pictures from your social media outlets, or privatize them completely. Your personal website should be impressive, and anything else employers can see online should be acceptable as well.
There are numerous places to broadcast your resume on the Internet. Job-search engines like Monster allow users to publicize resumes for potential employers. Rather than go from business to business passing your resume, post it online and let the interested individuals find you.
It’s also beneficial to update and stay connected on LinkedIn. You never know when someone is seeking a job candidate just like you, and recruiters are turning to LinkedIn more and more. One way recruiters seek candidates, in fact, is to look through current employees’ networks, so your connections’ connections could be perusing your profile at this very moment.
With millions of members, LinkedIn is the perfect tool to open and expand your network. It’s the best personal branding technique and will put your name at the top of the Google searches.
Every job application will require a resume and a cover letter. For each application, these materials should be adjusted accordingly. To ease the process, have templates ready for each. Have general content you can easily edit in order to generate the perfect copy for each job prospect, without putting too much energy into it.
If you’re still in college or recently graduated, take advantage of career centers on campus. There are sessions to perfect resumes, search engines to find more job opportunities and even career fairs at which you can meet potential employers. These are useful tools that you pay for with your education, and you shouldn’t let them go to waste.
Check out your college or alma mater’s calendar to explore the available services. Maybe you’ll even find something you didn’t expect! Most colleges are holding events all the time — sometimes a few each week. Of all the services, the career fairs are particularly useful because they’re perfect for networking. They’re not held as often as other workshops — you might expect one or two in a year.
Unfortunately some career fairs are held during the day, in the 10 a.m.-2 p.m. window, which can make it hard to attend. So check the calendar and take time off if necessary because these are events that cater to job seekers. They’re there for you, conveniently bringing job opportunities to one central spot. They’re the perfect place to land interviews!
College career fairs aren’t the only networking events. There are functions for engineers, communication-savvy individuals, medical professionals, etc. There are also more informal mixers and social events that offer great networking opportunities.
Check out events that appeal to your particular industry and start preparing. Get your resume ready, have your elevator speech prepared and get that confidence up!
These types of events are beneficial because even if you don’t land an interview or job prospect at the event itself, you will head home with numerous useful connections. You never know when one of your connections will help to connect you with a job or a great potential employer.
Have you ever heard that it’s not what you know, but who you know? In cases regarding employment, this can definitely be true, especially in the short run — like getting the initial job. So in order to simplify your job search, look to your closest circle of friends and family.
Friends can inform you of job opportunities, they can speak your praises, and they can help you to get a foot in the door. At the end of the day, a friend can be your greatest asset in job searching. But they won’t know to help unless you ask! So let your friends know that you’re looking for a new job. Tell your friends to keep their eyes and ears peeled for opportunities, but don’t stop searching on your own.
This post was written by Sarah Landrum
Sarah Landrum is a freelance writer and the founder of Punched Clocks, a site dedicated to sharing advice for young professionals navigating the work world and helping readers find happiness and success in their careers. Follow Sarah for more career development advice @SarahLandrum
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