You can save time job searching by using advanced search options on job boards. All the major job boards (like Indeed.com, SimplyHired.com, CareerBuilder, Monster, and Dice) have an “Advanced Search” option where you can search by keyword, location, a radius of a location, job title, company, type of job, date posted and other options.
Here’s a list of the top 10 best job sites, and tips for using Advanced Job Search options.
You cannot realistically acquire all of the skills and experiences required while searching for a new job. However, select one specific skill you are lacking, and make an effort to develop that skill.
For example, if you lack knowledge in a particular computer program, but it is a requirement for your dream job, sign up for a free or inexpensive online course that will help you develop that skill.
If you cannot find an online course that fits your needs, look to your local public library, adult education program, or community college to see if any of these institutions offers free or inexpensive courses on such topics.
The new skill will allow you to sharpen your resume while also allowing you to shine in an interview.
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.
Does your resume match your LinkedIn? While your resume may very well be a ‘condensed’ version of your LinkedIn (so that it fits on one or two pages), for positions that do show up in both places, be sure that details such as a job title, dates of employment, and key responsibilities are consistent across both platforms.
Use your LinkedIn profile as a resume: It’s easy to save your profile as a PDF file. Once you’ve saved it, you can print out a copy to review.
In addition to indicating what you know about the company, you should also try to develop a connection to your interviewer.
Know the interviewer’s name, and use it during the job interview. (If you’re not sure of the name, call and ask prior to the interview. And, listen very carefully during introductions. If you’re prone to forgetting names, jot it down somewhere discreet, like in small letters at the bottom of your notepad.)
Ultimately, building rapport and making a personal connection with your interviewer can up your chances of getting hired. People tend to hire candidates they like, and who seem to be a good fit for the company culture.
Yes, your new resume is lovely. Your LinkedIn profile, breathtaking. However, if they don’t position you as a direct match for a particular role that you’re gunning for, don’t be afraid to modify wording, switch around key terms, and swap bullet points in and out. Your resume is not a tattoo, nor is your LinkedIn profile. Treat them as living, breathing documents throughout your job search (and career).
If you’re a covert job seeker, remember to turn off your activity broadcasts (within privacy and settings) when you make edits to your LinkedIn profile. If your current boss or colleagues are connected to you on LinkedIn, they may get suspicious about all the frequent changes.
Hiring managers can smell desperation a mile away and they don’t like it. If you’re looking for a job, then act like your job hunt is your job. Keep a schedule, create task lists and execute them, and do everything you would do if you had a job. When you walk into an interview with the glow of someone who has a task to complete , you’ll change your interviewer’s demeanor. You cannot fake confidence. If you’re putting out resumes and scheduling interviews, then that kind of confidence comes out when you sit down and talk to a hiring manager. If you’re looking for a job but are currently working, then don’t act like you’re sneaking around. Stand tall and give strong handshakes when you walk through the door of a hiring manager to talk about your next career move.
Be a Problem Solver, Not a Complainer:
If you have a complaint about something, always have ideas about how to make it better. When you turn negativity into positive action, you will sound professional instead of whiny.
Ask for Help and Offer It as Well:
No one, no matter how talented, can do it all alone. If you need assistance, don’t be afraid to ask for it. Realize others may require it too but may hesitate to ask, so offer a hand when you can.
Be ready to pitch in when you are needed. It may involve doing something that isn’t in your job description, but you will demonstrate that you are flexible.
Considering that more than 90% of recruiters use LinkedIn as their primary search tool, this is not an understatement. If you’re a professional, you need to not only be on LinkedIn, you need to be using it to your full advantage. Don’t believe me? Think about it this way: If tomorrow morning, a recruiter logs onto LinkedIn looking for someone in your geography, with expertise in what you do, and you’re not there? Guess who they’re going to find and contact? Yes, that person’s name is “not you.”
If you figure out how to harness the power of no other social media tool for job search, figure out LinkedIn. It’s (by far) the best resource we have available today for career and job search networking, for finding people working at companies of interest, and for positioning yourself to be found by a recruiter who has a relevant job opening.
Don’t get me wrong—you absolutely must come across as polished, articulate and professional throughout your job search. However, many people translate this into: Must. Be. Boring.
Wrong, wrong, wrong. Realize that few people get hired because they had perfect white space on their cover letters, memorized all of the “correct” interview questions or used incredibly safe, common phraseology (i.e., clichés) throughout their resumes. All of this correctness is going to make you look staged and non-genuine. Instead, give yourself permission to be both polished and endearing. Memorable, likable candidates are almost always the ones who go the distance.