The Most Helpful Job Search Advice Nobody Shared With You!

The job market is always going through expansions and contractions. No matter when you find yourself applying for a job, you can maximize your chances at being hired by following this job search advice.

Finding a job surely requires an organized approach. We’ll touch on tips for job hunting, how to search for jobs, and some juicy job search secrets.

Let’s get to it!

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How to Focus Your Search

Take a look around, and you’ll likely see “Help Wanted” signs hanging in windows, job postings across social media platforms, and many result pages on job search sites.

If you’re a bit unclear on how to focus your search or what you’ll need to start setting up interviews, then be sure to review these job search tips:

Set Career Goals

If you’re not focused on getting a job to make ends meet, then you should take the time to consider what your career goals are. As much as possible, it makes sense to apply to positions within the industry that you wish to grow in. If you lack experience, then consider applying for internships to get your feet wet.

Prepare a Resume/Cover Letter

It’s highly unlikely that you’ll come across any job posting that doesn’t ask you for your resume or cover letter. Have this ready to go in advance. Click on the following links if you need help to create or enhance your resume or cover letter.

Research

As you compile the list of companies you wish to apply to, be sure to research them. You can learn more about the company culture, salaries and benefits, and work environment. Some of this information may be available through the company’s website or the job posting itself.

If you need to do a little more digging, consider leveraging sites like LinkedIn or Glassdoor, for example. You can also contact the hiring manager, recruiter, or HR team to see if you can set up an informational interview to ask these basic questions before applying.

Network Regularly

Use any opportunity you can to network with peers and professionals because you never know what door that can open for you. To demonstrate, if you attend social events or workshops, talk openly about your career goals because they may be able to connect you to a company that’s hiring for that kind of position. Or, if you’re in college, take advantage of any professional network that your college may already have developed for its students.

Prepare for Interviews

While your resume and/or cover letter serve as your first digital impression, an in-person or Zoom interview will be your first real and memorable impression you get to make. As such, be prepared for an interview in advance. Practice answers to common interview questions, ask a friend to role-play as an interviewer for you, and enter the room (or video chat) with confidence when the big day arrives.

Read Job Descriptions Carefully

This is important for a few reasons. For one, you’ll need to make sure you fulfill (most of) the requirements in order to apply. Here’s a little-known job secret – you don’t have to meet every single requirement to apply. Make sure that you hit at least 80% of them. If you get asked about a requirement that you don’t fulfill, be honest and open, but also be clear with the interviewer if you strongly believe that you could learn how to do whatever they are asking. This could display your strong work ethic and enthusiasm to learn, which are both great assets for any employer.

Furthermore, you’ll want to tailor your resume and application using keywords from the job description. This is especially true if you are applying through an automated system or portal online.

Job Searching Advice

Now that you know how to search for jobs, check out this job search advice that can help you land the job you want:

Send Many Applications

While you should narrow your search to jobs that you actually wish to have, you shouldn’t limit yourself to sending just one or two applications. Often, getting hired comes down to a numbers game, in that you’ll need to apply to multiple jobs to up your chances of even scheduling an initial interview.

Don’t Only Use Online Applications

In many cases, you’ll apply online through a job portal or job search website that lists many jobs from various companies (i.e., Indeed.com, Monster.com, etc.). But it’s not the only way that you can apply for jobs. Since these sites use filtering technology, your application may miss a keyword and be overlooked entirely. You can use platforms like LinkedIn to directly connect with hiring managers and get in front of key personnel to be noticed.

Update Your LinkedIn

On the topic of LinkedIn, make sure that your profile is up-to-date with your most recent experience. Ensure that your headline under your name describes what you do or what you are looking to do because you could pop up in search results and be recruited without even having to try.

Write Thank-You Notes

Once you do finish up with any interviews or phone calls, be sure to remain at the top of the interviewer’s mind by sending a thank-you note. Try to add something specific from the conversation rather than remaining too general so that the reader can remember your chat strongly.

Follow Up with Hiring Managers

If you’ve applied for jobs and gone a week or so without hearing anything at all, send a follow-up email to check in on the status of your application. This not only will help you get the answers you’re seeking, but you will also be able to showcase that you are persistent and invested in landing the role.

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Ready, Set, Job Search

You’re equipped with job search advice that has helped employees score the job of their dreams. Take these job search tips along with you on your job hunting endeavors for the best results. Good luck; we’re rooting for you!