Get Noticed when Job Hunting Online
Searching for work online? Following these tips will increase your chances for an interview!
Steps
- Know who the company is. Research the company in-depth well before you apply for a position. Spend some serious time perusing their website and look for keys to what they are about. Know their history, their mission statement, their financials, their culture. Know what their vision of the future is and where you might fit into it and reference why you would be a good match in the cover letter. If you get a call for an interview, you will be knowledgeable about them which shows you have done your research.
- Apply for jobs you are qualified for. Don't waste time applying for jobs that don't match your employment history, unless you can spell out exactly how your skills are transferable to the position. Remember that you are competing with countless others whose history may more closely match what they are looking for. Blanketing the field with a generic resume will not typically get you the results you want.
- Know the language of the industry. If you don't know the industry jargon, this will be obvious to those who are in that field and you will not be taken seriously as a candidate. Use keywords of the posting in your resume, cover letter and more importantly, the job interview. If necessary, take additional coursework in your desired field. Recruiters and hiring managers are looking for candidates who know and understand their specific industry terms. You will be weeded out if you do not speak their language.
- Improve your personal brand. Make sure your LinkedIn profile has an up to date, professional looking photo rather than the recent photo from your vacation. It's important to be seen as a professional on this site. Your bio should accurately reflect your work experience, education and accomplishments and your headline should reflect your personal brand clearly. Join trade groups on LinkedIn for the industries you are interested in. Recommendations really stand out. Perhaps a former colleague would be willing to write a short recommendation for you. Do some soul searching to put together a succinct 2 minute "elevator pitch" or marketing message about yourself. Write down your job target or the type of job you are pursuing and what you bring to the table in terms of skills, education and experience. Then boil it down to one or 2 sentences. Remember to direct the short speech to the recipients and how they may benefit from your background. That is what they will want to hear.
