As the summer winds down, how’s the job search going? Did you stay on top of the latest job search strategies, or did you ease up a little? In a recent article, we discussed the negative influence that the summer season may have on job seekers. Since many job seekers minimize their efforts during the summer, it’s important that you keep your efforts high!
With that being said, now is the time to get right back into the swing of things. Here are a few ways you can improve your job search right now!
Review your resume
Review your resume from an interviewer’s standpoint and be honest – Would you hire yourself if YOU were the employer? Does your resume support the requirements of the position? Is your resume outdated? If you’re not certain that your resume is as strong as it can be, then it may be beneficial to consult a resume writing expert. A free resume review can assure you that you’re attacking the job search in full force.
An employer spends an average of six seconds reviewing your resume. This means you need to have a resume that makes a strong first impression.
Review and optimize your LinkedIn profile
First of all, if you’re not on LinkedIn, you should be. Why? Well for starters, a recent survey shows that 93% of job recruiters scour LinkedIn to find qualified candidates. Can you afford to miss out on that opportunity?
Your LinkedIn profile must be optimized for job search success. Use industry-related keywords and skills in your profile and use them often. Join groups pertaining to your industry to learn and contribute to the conversation. Lastly, connect with people and grow your network. Having a thriving LinkedIn presence by using LinkedIn optimization strategies will better your chances of finding job search success.
Make use of social media functionalities
Although there are many different social networks in the digital spaces, not every network serves the same purpose. There are different benefits of having a profile on all of these social networks, but if you only have time to manage one, as we’ve said in our previous job search articles, LinkedIn is undoubtedly your best bet. However, this doesn’t mean that you can ignore the functions of the other networks.
Twitter has a very strong search feature that can help you track down jobs and recruiters. You may or may not be familiar with the hashtag (#) search feature that targets specific tweets on the network. For instance, a search for the term “#prjobs” or “#techjobs” will return the latest tweets (usually from recruiters or agencies) that are hiring in the PR and technology industries respectively.
Learn social media job search strategies and utilize them in your efforts.
Start networking
If it hasn’t set in yet, networking is an influential strategy in the job search. Meeting and connecting with people in your industry can be just the push you need to get your resume to the top of the pile. Having the connections on the inside will better your chances of job search success, so what are you waiting for? Learn how to network like a champion and get to a networking event this weekend!
You can find a networking event on LinkedIn or even websites such as Meetup.com or Eventbrite.com. Simply type in the term “networking” and find a job or hobby-related event in your area.
Get back to the job search with these four strategies right now!