If you’ve been searching for a job with too little success, it may be time to reassess your strategy. At Cash Factory USA, we know what it’s like to try to get by without a job. Let us help you on your search with a few of our best job hunt tips. Create a completely new job hunt strategy to improve your odds of standing out and getting an interview. Read our blog today to learn more.
1. Networking
An updated resume and application are all well and good, but many companies are also looking for candidates on social media. Build your network on professional and social sites to ensure you have tons of connections. Make sure your LinkedIn has lots of connections to others in your field and that your Facebook makes you look like a stellar candidate. You might even find a job through a friend or referral because your social sites look so good. Take this job hunt tip to heart and revamp your whole online persona to impress a recruiter and start your career.
2. Identify Marketable Skills
Whether you’re fresh to the job market or you’re looking to transition to a different workplace, identifying your marketable skills and using them is a useful job hunt tip to ensure you stand out to recruiters. Write a list of your top skills and integrate them into your resume and cover letter wherever you can to improve your job hunt strategy. As you read about what types of employees a specific company is looking for, highlight any matching skills you have in your resume when you send them an application.
3. Don’t Take Rejection Too Hard
Many companies receive hundreds of applications every day. Sometimes, you won’t hear back from a company for weeks, while other times you won’t hear back at all. Don’t take it too personally when a company doesn’t reach out. A good job hunt strategy is to send out a follow-up email or make a phone call about two weeks after you sent out an application. This lets recruiters know you’re committed and interested as well as giving you closure if they choose not to move ahead with your application.
4. Don’t Waste Time
Even if the job you’re looking at looks like a dream job, if you are underqualified, most companies won’t give your application a second glance. One of our top job hunt tips is not to waste your time applying for these jobs. Focus on jobs where you look like the perfect candidate.
There are a few exceptions to this rule. If you’re only slightly under qualified and feel like a particular position may be the perfect fit, include your reasoning in your cover letter and apply anyway. Make sure you explain that you’re a quick learner and discuss what other skills you have that make up for the lack.
5. Personalize Your Resume
You want your resume to look tailored for each position. Many companies use a selection algorithm that searches for certain keywords in each application. To ensure your resume and cover letter has the keywords they’re looking for, read the job description carefully and customize your resume to incorporate the buzzwords they use. Is a company looking for someone who’s a “self-starter”? Some of the top job hunt tips recommend you make sure to include that word at some point in your resume.
6. Maximize Your Search
There are a number of recruiting websites that make your job search so much easier. From ZipRecruiter to Monster, placing your resume on these sites allows companies to find you instead of the other way around. A business that is actively searching for a new candidate is much more likely to call you if you have a profile on one of these sites. Now you have even more time to hone your job hunt strategy and focus on different aspects of finding a job.
7. Practice Your Interview Skills
If you’ve broken through the first line and made it to the interview portion of your search, congratulations! The next job hunt tip you should focus on is honing your interview skills. Like your resume, your interview should be customized to each company. Research the company so that you can ask knowledgeable questions about your job responsibilities and day to day activities. Tailor your responses to their questions according to the field and position for which you’re applying.
8. Think About Salary
You don’t ever want to go into an interview unprepared, and salary requirements are an important part of the interview. The interviewer may ask you about your salary preferences or tell you what they’re willing to offer. Be prepared to negotiate and offer your reasons for why you think you deserve a specific rate. Research the industry standard for the position and present the interviewer with a salary range you would consider.
On Your Way to Success
Just because you don’t have the job of your dreams yet doesn’t mean you can’t work a side gig or a part time job to help you pay the bills until you find the right job. Working hard to find the right job will pay off in the end as long as you don’t allow yourself to slide into debt.
Get more job hunting tips and financial advice from Cash Factory USA when you read our blog.