Frustrated with your job search?
Searching for a job can be an endless task when you don’t have the tools you need to lead an effective, targeted search. Here are six job search tips that will maximize your efforts, and help you land your next job. Or, as I like to say, “Get you from point A (where you are today) to point B (your next great opportunity) in the shortest time possible.’’
Tip #1: Give Your Resume a Boost
According to New York Career Coach James Borland, “Your resume should entice the reader to want to see you. It should be designed to sell you as an interesting person to talk to.”
Your resume has the power to land you an interview if it highlights your key accomplishments and track record of success, related to the hiring manager’s needs. Experts agree that a well-written resume highlights:
- Your UVP (unique value proposition).
- Key words which demonstrate your expertise.
- A listing of your accomplishments relevant to the role you are targeting.
- Your track record of success recorded in quantifiable terms (i.e. $, % and #s).
In other words, your resume should set you apart from the competition, and compel a recruiter to want to meet you.
Tip #2: Craft a Compelling Cover Letter
Your cover letter is a complement to your resume. Use it to expand upon the key skills and experience highlighted in the job posting. Also, ensure you feature the key words noted in the posting. Use your cover letter to:
- Showcase your ability to solve problems the advertised role may encounter.
- Provide examples of your achievements relevant to the role.
- Demonstrate your enthusiasm for the role, and being part of their team.
Tailor each cover letter to address the hiring manager’s needs. Demonstrate your track record of key accomplishments related to their needs, your passion for joining their organization, and your attributes that make you a great fit to their culture. This will compel him or her to contact you for an interview.
Tip #3: Conduct an Interview Audit
If you have landed several interviews but aren’t getting call backs, you need to take a closer look at your interviewing skills. An Interview Audit will help you understand what you might be doing wrong, and how you can improve. To get started, ask yourself these questions:
- Was I passionate about the organization and this position?
- Did I present concrete examples of my skills and experience related to their needs?
- Was I able to demonstrate my expertise in this field?
- Did I quantify my experience with real results, using $, %, and # to provide concrete evidence of my success?
- Was I personable and approachable? Did I project confidence and capability?
Here’s a key strategy to ace the interview: practice answering your interview questions out loud. Get comfortable speaking about your accomplishments and quantifying your results. As a result, your answers will be more fluid, and you will present as more confident and capable.
Tip #4: Improve Your Network
Networking opens doors to the hidden job market. Connect to learn about organizations, gain insights into the industry, and source job leads before they hit the market.
People who build robust, rewarding careers make it a habit to maintain their networks and stay connected. So make a plan today to get out of your office at least once a week. Attend industry luncheons, professional association events, or grab a quick coffee with key contacts in your industry.
As you meet new people in your field, listen to them carefully to find out what their needs are. Once you have developed these initial relationships, you can then probe to further understand how you could add value to their organizations.
Be ready to network anywhere and at any time. You never know when a new career opportunity will present itself. Create a compelling Elevator Pitch that describes who you are, and highlights your skills, accomplishments and expertise.
Tip #5: Open the Door to Headhunters & Employment Agencies
Go beyond networking to source job and contract opportunities, get registered with recruiters in your sector.
Do a Google search for employment agencies in your sector. Check out their job boards for positions of interest, then directly approach the agency with your resume. However, the most effective way to get a headhunter’s attention is to have a connection with someone who already is registered with them, or uses them as their corporate recruiter. When approaching these recruiters, reference that you have been referred by one of their current clients, as this can open the door for your first meeting.
Tip #6: Peruse the Right Online Resources
Regularly keep an eye on the web, but caution – don’t over invest your time here. As a proactive job searcher, you want to get to the opportunities before everyone else knows they are available. A professional who desires to move his or her career forward needs to be more creative and focused to get results.
Job Boards –
There are many job search sites out there: LinkedIn, Monster, TheLadders, and Indeed.ca, to name a few. Save time by using an aggregator service such as Indeed.ca, because these services pull from multiple job boards. Be as a specific as possible in your search terms, including sub-skills and postal codes to narrow down your search.
Optimize Your Social Media Presence –
LinkedIn is actively monitored by recruiters and headhunters in their search for talent. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to put your best foot forward and grab their attention. Here are some key tactics to Raise Your Profile on LinkedIn.
Maximize Your Job Search Success
In today’s job search market, it takes more than just a great resume. Accelerate your success by crafting a compelling resume and cover letter, conducting an interview audit, improving your network, seeking out headhunters and employment agencies, and searching online career resource sites. These tips are designed to propel your job search forward so that you can move your career from point A to point B in the quickest time possible.
Author: Joanne Loberg of JL Careers Inc. is a Certified Executive Coach and Internationally Certified Career Management Professional. She specializes in coaching professional and executive clients, and providing career advancement strategies. Copyright JL Careers Inc. All rights reserved.
Tired of sending out resumes & not landing interviews? Interested in speeding up your results?
Our Job Search Boot Camp provides you with 5 customized, individual 90-minute coaching sessions, packed with leading edge job search strategies that work! Your Boot Camp is tailored to provide you with what you need to launch a successful job search.
You’ll learn what it takes to grab recruiters’ attention and start landing interviews. Each session focuses on developing and implementing essential job search strategies and tools, including:
- Resumes That Get Results
- Creating Career Branding Statements that “Wow’’ Recruiters
- Compelling LinkedIn Profiles that are Optimized to Attract Recruiters
- Targeted Cover Letters that Differentiate You from Other Candidates
- Secrets to Interview Success – Interview Skills & Practice
- Maximizing your Weekly Output: Job Search Strategies & Action Plans to Deliver Results.
Job Search Boot Camp programs include the JL Careers Launching Your Job Search Workbook, providing you with strategies and tools to ensure you are putting your best foot forward when approaching recruiters and hiring managers.
Your Career Coach, Joanne Loberg is a Certified Executive Coach and Internationally Certified Career Management Professional with over 20 years’ experience working exclusively with professional and executive clients. Joanne’s strategies are targeted to what it takes to market you to headhunters and key decision makers.
Interested in Job Search Boot Camp? Contact Joanne today for a complimentary 20-minute consultation to discuss your needs, and determine what strategies you need to launch a successful job search.
Wishing you much career success!
Joanne
