Finding a new job is challenging. Whether it’s been decades since your last job interview or you’re overwhelmed by the process of curating your LinkedIn profile, the process can be daunting. Job seekers often spend hours trawling through advertisements and online boards without making any progress.
While you never want to rush something as important as securing a new job, being organized and proactive when job hunting helps you find a new position faster. It also helps prevent you from becoming stagnant and ensures you don’t run into financial trouble if you’re between work.
The following guide contains five tips for job seekers, enabling you to find the right openings as quickly as possible.
1. Set Career Goals
One of the major time wasters in any job hunt is scrolling through job postings without knowing what you’re looking for. By setting career goals, you gain a clearer picture of what type of job you want and how to get it.
Although ambition is a valuable characteristic that can help you grow your career, it’s important to be realistic when starting your job search. Conduct in-depth research about the roles you’re interested in, study job descriptions, investigate company culture, and gain a true understanding of what the work entails. A job title may sound appealing, but it doesn’t tell the full story.
2. Develop a Plan
Once you’ve set your career goals, create a plan on how to reach them. Part of this process involves aligning your qualifications and experience with potential jobs. If it’s beneficial for you to take a part-time course or gain an additional qualification, incorporate these steps into your plan.
Establishing your goals and formulating a plan helps you refine your search and gain extra focus, enabling you to find a job faster. If you’re struggling to set your goals, consider speaking to a career guidance professional to help uncover what you really want.
3. Perfect Your Resume and Cover Letter
Job application processes, interview formats, and professional portfolios may have changed recently, but resumes and cover letters remain two of the most important elements in landing a job.
According to the Wall Street Journal, 87% of hiring managers read cover letters. Job applicants who tailor their cover letters earn approximately 50% more interviews than those who don’t.
In a competitive job market, you must do everything you can to gain an advantage over fellow candidates. Tailoring your resume and cover letter allows you to highlight key skills, qualifications, and experience that potential employers are looking for. Essentially, your resume and cover letter give you the power to show that you’re a good fit.
Tailoring your resume and cover letter is also important for garnering the attention of applicant tracking systems (ATS). These systems automatically filter through job applications and documents, ranking candidates to speed up the hiring process for companies. To ensure an ATS picks up your resume, include keywords, skills, qualifications, certifications, experience, and other details outlined in the job advert.
4. Contact Companies Directly
Job seekers must be aware that there are multiple avenues for getting hired, including online job boards, recruitment companies, social media, cold calling, classifieds, and networking. Ensure that you’re exploring all options and using every available resource to find the job you really want.
While the idea that 70% to 80% of jobs aren’t advertised may be a little outdated, there are certainly plenty of unadvertised openings. If you’ve always wanted to work for a certain organization, contact them directly with a tailored cover letter, resume, LinkedIn profile, and any other relevant information. If there are no available positions, ask for your details to be stored in case a suitable job opens up in the future.
One of the most important factors when applying for an unadvertised job is to carry out thorough research. This can help you determine their goals, vision, and mission, enabling you to demonstrate better what values and qualities you can bring to the organization. Find out who the hiring manager is and contact them directly.
5. Use Digital Job Boards
Another excellent resource for job seekers is Jobsfuel.com. The primary function of this site is to advertise jobs. It allows you to search for jobs by keywords, titles, and location, meaning you can find available roles all over the country.
Jobsfuel.com allows you to subscribe to custom notifications, alerting you if a job matching your interests and skill set is advertised. Another great feature of Jobsfuel.com is its resource center, where you can find quality advice and guidance such as interview question preparation, resume tips, and career advice.
Expand Your Career Opportunities With Jobsfuel.com
Jobsfuel.com can expand your career opportunities through hundreds of job listings, email notifications, and career advice and guidance. Whether you’re looking for remote work or need assistance writing a cover letter, Jobsfuel.com can help you get the job offer you want and deserve. Our easy-to-use website is designed to ensure you take the next step in your career as quickly as possible.
