The irony in job search advice is that there’s so much information available, you don’t even have to spend four seconds on Google before you find some piece of wisdom.
However, you may find yourself overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information available, some of which contradicts all other advice. This is, in fact the exact opposite of what you want when you search for useful advice.
Let’s simplify this: Here are some sound and timeless tips to help you navigate the job search process.
1. Make Yourself a “Smack-in-the-Forehead” Obvious Fit
If you submit an online job application, your resume will likely be first screened by an applicant tracking software. After that, assuming you are successful in making the first cut, you’ll move on to human eyeballs. Your resume will be reviewed by a recruiter or HR professional at a lower level, who may not fully understand the job requirements.
It is important that both the computer’s and human’s “Here are our requirements” can be quickly connected to your “Here are our capabilities and deliver it.”
Pro Tip
Examine the job description and all information available about the position. Do you match the jobs in Birmingham description’s words and phrases? Are you highlighting your strengths in areas that are crucial to the role? It’s easy to do.
2. Do not limit yourself to online applications during your job search
Do you want your job search to be successful? You can then rely on online applications. Do you want to speed up this bad boy? Apply online for the position. Don’t quit! Begin to find and then make friends with people at the company you are interested in. Meet with potential peers for informational interviews. Ask a few questions to an internal recruiter. Be aware of people who could influence your chances of getting a job.
Pro Tip
You will immediately be different if you meet people at the company where you are interested in working. Before they begin sorting through the slew of resumes arriving via the ATS, decision makers interview people who have been recommended to them or through a personal referral.
3. Your LinkedIn Profile and Resume are not a tattoo.
Your new resume is beautiful. Your LinkedIn profile, breathtaking. If they don’t make you a good match for the job you want, you can change wording and key terms or swap bullet points. Your resume and LinkedIn profile are not tattoos. Throughout your job search and career, treat them as living documents.
Pro Tip
If you are a covert job seeker make sure to disable your activity broadcasts within privacy and settings when editing your LinkedIn profile. Your current boss and colleagues may be suspicious of your frequent LinkedIn changes.
4. Accept the fact that you will never bore anyone into hiring you
Do not get me wrong, you must present yourself as professional, articulate, and polished throughout your job search. Many people translate this to: Must. Be. Boring.
Wrong, wrong, wrong. Few people are hired simply because they have perfect white space in their cover letters, memorized the correct interview questions, or used safe, familiar phraseology (i.e., clichés) throughout their resumes. This correctness will make you appear fake and unoriginal. Instead, allow yourself to be polished and charming. People who are memorable and likable are almost always those who make it to the top.
5. LinkedIn is a great way to find out about your connections.
This is an understatement considering that LinkedIn is used by more than 90% of recruiters as their primary tool for searching. Professionals need to be on LinkedIn. You need to make the most of it. You don’t believe me? You can think of it like this: Imagine a recruiter logging onto LinkedIn tomorrow morning looking for someone with expertise in your area. Guess who they are going to contact? That person’s name is not you.
Pro Tip
LinkedIn is the best social media platform for job searching. LinkedIn is the most powerful social media tool available for job and career networking, finding people at companies of your interest and positioning yourself to be discovered by recruiters who have a job opening.
6. Your thank you matters
One time, I placed a candidate in an engineering position with a company that makes packaging equipment. He was competing with another engineer who also had similar skills and wanted the same job. Within two hours of interviewing, my candidate sent a thoughtful and non-robotic note of thanks to all the people he had met. The other candidate did not send anything.
Guess what made my candidate get the job offer? The thoughtful and non-robotic thank-you notes. These notes sealed the deal, considering that the other front-runner had sent nothing.
Pro Tip
After the interview, you should consider writing genuine, original thank-you notes for each interviewer. It will have an impact on how quickly you send your notes and how high quality they are.
Remember that interviewers care more about your potential contribution to the company than you do about the deal. Once you have established your worth, you can be sure that they will care about what you want. During the interview, however, you need to show why it makes business sense for you to hire.
Go forth, now and prove to your job search who the boss is.