10 Tips to Jump Start Your Job Search
by Alison Doyle
Need to get your job search moving? These 10 tips to jump start your job search will help you get started on a job search or help you get your job search in gear, if you're not getting as much action as you'd like to see.
Build a Network
The first step in your job search, before you even apply for a job is to make sure you have a network of contacts who can help with your job search. LinkedIn is a terrific source for building and maintaining a professional networking of connections. If you’re not on LinkedIn yet, here’s how to get started. If you are, make sure you’re connected with everyone you know, both past and present.
Tap Your Connections
Use your connections to help you get a foot in the job search door. Applying for a job? Check the company on LinkedIn to see who you know at the company or who the people you know are connected to. You may be able to get a referral for an interview or a recommendation to the hiring manager.
Focus Your Job Search
There can be a temptation to job search here, there, and everywhere. It feels like you have accomplished something if you have posted your resume on lots of sites and applied for a ton of jobs. That’s really not that useful though, unless the jobs are a good fit for your skills and qualifications. Instead, spend some time deciding what type of job you want and where you want to work. The more focused and streamline your job search, the more effective it will be.
Use a Job Search Engine
A job search engine is a great way to save time. Use LinkUp to search directly for jobs on company web sites. You’ll find current open jobs and no spam, because the jobs are coming direct from the company. Indeed.com searches jobs across the Internet and if you use the tools available, you’ll be able to effectively manage your job search. Set up a my.indeed account to access saved jobs, searches, and alerts from any computer, and download job search plugins for Firefox and for Google Desktop, an application for Facebook, a button for your Google Toolbar, and other applications to help expedite your job search.
Go Direct to the (Jobs) Source
Do you have a company your interested in working for? Company web sites can provide a wealth of information about the company culture, the company’s mission and plans, career paths, and opportunities. Take it a step further and use sites like Glassdoor.com to get inside information on what it’s like to work there.
Review Your Resume
Your resume can get you an interview or knock you out of contention. Invest time in your resume so it provides the hiring manager with a screenshot of your experience, skills, and education. Proofread your resume and ask someone else to proof it for you, so you can ensure it’s perfect.
Target Your Cover Letters
Write a targeted cover letter for each and every job you apply to. Take the time to review the job posting and to match it up with your background. Use a bulleted list or a chart to show why you are qualified for the job.
Dress for Interview Success
What you wear to a job interview does matter. Dress professionally, pay attention to detail – shoes, accessories, your portfolio with copies of your resume, your hair, and all the other details of your interview attire are part of the image you present to the person who works for the company that could be your next employer. Take the time to make that impression a great one.
Mind Your Manners
It only takes a few minutes to send email thank you notes to the people you interviewed with, the contacts who help you connect with a company, and everyone else who helped you job search. Saying thank you can move you up the candidate ladder, as well as serving as a reminder that you’re a good candidate and an appreciative connection.
Get Job Search Help
If you’re struggling to go it alone in a tough job market, consider asking for help. College graduates should check with the career office at their alma mater to see what services after offered to alumni. Check with your local library to see if they have job search club. Also check online (Google job search club and your location) to see if there are job search clubs you can join. Consider hiring a career counselor, a career coach or a professional resume and letter writer to give your job search a boost, but do check references before you hire them.
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