Four Things to Shorten Your Job Search
Between job boards, company websites, recruiters, and networking, you can quickly feel overwhelmed and disorganized when looking for a new job. Consider these four actionable tips backed by credible sources designed to help you find the job of your dreams - in the shortest amount of time.
Have a Strategy
The first mistake is failure to have purpose and intent when applying to open positions. Before creating a resume, you must know what job you want. Without an end goal, how do you know what content to include in your resume? If you struggle to identify what you are good at or what options are out there, start researching what’s on LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and general Google searches. Even AI can help you by pasting your current resume into an AI scanner and asking it to identify jobs that fit your background. Take that list and research any unfamiliar job titles. And if that’s still confusing, consider hiring a career coach.
Build Your Personal Brand - Resume & LinkedIn
Every day I talk to job seekers who think a new resume will be the silver bullet they need for their job search. Yes, everyone needs a resume, but a resume is only one component of a successful job campaign. Now that you have a clear target, it’s time to create your resume and LinkedIn profile to showcase your thought leadership. Things to consider when creating your resume:
Can a computer scan this resume? According to a study by Jobvite, 75% of recruiters use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to screen resumes. Remove charts, images, columns, graphs, fancy fonts, small fonts, headers, footers, etc., to help the ATS parse your information correctly.
Does my resume show me as the best candidate for this role? The #1 mistake I see in a resume is the lack of quantifiable and qualifiable achievements. Your resume is a summary of accomplishments, not just a job history. Make sure your resume reads like a series of professional accomplishments. Don’t just list your responsibilities - center the focus of your resume on the outcomes.
Is my resume too short? Too long? Resumes should be between 1-3 pages depending on how long you have been working - one page for entry-level (new graduates), two for mid-late career, and three for C-level executives.
Take the experience section of your resume and pick what you want to highlight on your LinkedIn profile. You do not want to carry everything over. Your LinkedIn should be a sneak peek for the recruiter to get to know you. Build out an engaging headline and about section. Update your skills using LinkedIn’s resume builder to see what skills recruiters are searching for based on the job title. (Again - if you don’t have a job title in mind, how do you know what skills you should be listing? It always comes back to strategy!) You don’t need a professional headshot, but don’t use those damn AI-generated photos! Make sure your headshot is professional (not you doing a keg stand at the Alpha Chi mixer) - shoulders up, neutral background, professional attire, smile, looking forward.
Note: While you can have multiple resumes, you can only have one LinkedIn profile. Make sure your personal brand comes through regardless of where someone may find you.
Another Note: It is best practice to update your resume based on the job you are applying to. No, this does not mean rewriting your resume every time. The more focused you write your base resume, the fewer changes you’ll need to make to future resumes. The more hyper-focused you are on job titles/targets, the fewer changes you’ll need to make. Imagine that it comes back to your strategy again!
Network
You are 20X more likely to get an interview if you are referred. So start building that network! Shout from the rooftops that you are looking for a new job. Don’t be afraid to use LinkedIn’s Open to Work feature and post that you are looking for a new job so your network sees it in their feed. Reach out to target companies to set up informal informational meetings to learn more about the company. This does not need to be done based on an open position. Never reach out asking for a job. The best way to do this is to position your message as research. Before reaching out, research employees at target companies. Find ones with similar career paths (use LinkedIn search filters to quickly find people with similar job titles, both past and present - this is the perfect thing to do for someone doing a career change). In your initial message, explain why you are reaching out (I saw we both were project managers, and now you are a program manager. I am considering making this jump myself, and I wanted to know if you would share the steps you took to get into this position?”)
At the end of the day, who you know pulls more weight than any other application method.
Set Goals
Job searching can be a long and frustrating process. That's why it's important to set goals for yourself. Make a goal to apply for a certain number of jobs each week. Or, set a goal to connect with a certain number of people on LinkedIn each month. Having goals will keep you motivated and help you stay on track.
