Job searching is changing – rapidly. Once a frustrating trawl through the vacancy pages of the local newspaper, hunting for a new career is now a process which can be conducted entirely online.
Internet job boards have evolved, as have the techniques required to make the most of them. No one wants to spend hours job hunting, and in this post, I’ll uncover some surprisingly simple tips for making a job hunt quick, effective and – most importantly of all – enjoyable.
Find your USP
Businesses are always searching for a unique selling point, or ‘USP’. You should do the same. Employers will have their attention drawn to potential employees who offer that little bit more.
Perhaps you’ve got a particularly interesting qualification relating to the industry within which you’d like to work. Maybe you enjoyed five minutes of fame in the local paper a few months back. Whatever it is, add it to your CV – it’ll stand out.
Hit social media
If you have a defined idea of the industry you want to work in, start your research on social media. Hunt out influencers in that arena and get involved in discussions on hot topics in the sector. The more connections you make and the more of a noise you make online, the more you’ll get noticed by potential employers.
Search within your niche
You can save an awful lot of time when searching for a job online by focussing on job boards which are built specifically for your industry. The same goes for the level of pay you’re after, or the job role. If you’re a director looking for another high profile role, focus on the sites which speak to that audience (e.g. http://www.exec-appointments.com).
Write a candidate profile
Many online job search sites will ask candidates to fill out a candidate profile. This is usually just a few sentences covering your qualifications, interests and personal strengths. Spend some time writing something which highlights your strengths, save it and call it up whenever requested; that way, you’ll save time rewriting the same candidate profile each time!
Sign up for RSS feeds and job alerts
Most online job boards will offer a sign up service whereby they send you automated alerts when new jobs matching your criteria are posted. Some will also have RSS feeds, so signing up to a free service such as feedly.com to keep track of the various boards on which you’re job hunting is a great tactic.
Filter, filter, filter
When searching for a job online, use the website’s filtering tools extensively. By narrowing your search to very specific requirements (salary, location, responsibilities, keywords, etc), you’ll save a huge amount of time trawling through jobs you have no interest in.
Finding a job online can be incredibly rewarding – and fun. By using the tactics above you’ll cut through the noise and be able to focus on the positions which could result in your dream career move.