5 Ways to Make my Online Job Search Effective

By Brad - Wednesday 2 Jul 12:39 pm

 

In less than a decade more than 75 million people have established a job search account at Monster.com. Millions more have used sites like Careerbuilder.com and Hotjobs.com or some other website dedicated to employment opportunities. With all these people searching no one wants to get lost in the crowd. Consider these five approaches to making your job search effective.  

 

1. Focus the search with keywords. Don’t waste time and energy searching too wide a variety of job listings or applying for jobs you don’t want. Know what you are seeking then use keywords to focus your search.

 

2. Use multiple sites. Limiting your search to one job search website limits your opportunity. Employers don’t list on every available site; it isn’t cost effective. Some industries have their own career websites. Look around or consider a site like Indeed.com when you begin your search. Indeed.com and others search multiple job sites at the same time which may speed up your job search.

 

3. Market yourself professionally. Employers who list online screen applicants to weed out a large portion before they even start planning interviews. Don’t get eliminated for an unprofessional package. Prepare cover letter templates and resume ahead of time in plain text document so they can be read no matter what programs the employer is using. Have them reviewed and edited to avoid typos and errors. Establish an email address for your job search that is simple and professional. Some employers are just as savvy online as you are and can easily check your social networking page. Drunken photos, sexual innuendo (or worse) are not professional and may cost you the chance at a second look.

 

4. Follow directions listed in the job listing. Employers do not want to hire people who cannot follow instructions. Read the job listing and follow the instructions regarding what they are looking for and how they want that information. Many toss out any applicants who do not follow instructions without even glancing at the resume.

 

5. Apply for positions you are qualified for. Don’t waste time – yours or the employer’s. Know whether you are qualified and apply only if you meet the employer’s basic needs.

 

In order to make your online job search effective you should use the tools to your advantage. Start with these five simple rules and your search will yield more advantageous results.

 

Posted in: Job Search

The Most Important Step in Your Job Search and Why

By Brad - Thursday 5 Jun 6:24 pm

The most important step in your job search starts with you. Knowing what you want in a job is the first priority. Without a goal in mind your job search will be unfocused and haphazard. While a broad search may get results it may not yield positive results.

Whether you are beginning your first search or your fifteenth the same rule applies. Find out what you want. To do so follow some basic steps:

1. Ask yourself why you are searching. Are you just out of school? Have you recently been laid off? Are you tired of your current position and looking for a change? Do you need more money? Your answer is the first step to deciding what you are looking for in your job search.

2. List your strengths. What do you have to offer an employer? Be honest with yourself. If you don’t have experience in a new field can you afford to start in an entry level position? Do you have other strengths to offer that may outweigh your inexperience? Know what you have to offer.

3. Research your options. If you know you want a job in management or insurance for example – start researching to narrow your job search. Type in the keyword management in a job search engine and watch hundreds of jobs appear. Don’t waste hours sorting through these choices. Choose a more specific keyword search for better results.

4. Know what you don’t want. Knowing what you are not willing to live with is just as important as knowing what you want. Make a list of items you will not compromise – be it “I won’t wear a suit every day” or “I hate cubicles”. Avoid the items on your list so you don’t waste your or the employers’ time.

5. Prioritize what you want. Make a list of what you want in your next job and rank the list.

6. Be patient. Finding the right job for you takes time. By limiting your job search to what you really want it may take longer. It might be quicker to do a broad search and take any position you can get but a job you hate will send you back to another job search fast.

Searching for a job takes time, energy and patience. Make the experience more fun and efficient by taking the first step to decide what you want in a job.

Posted in: Job Search