Whenever I talk to clients or run a job search and interviewing workshops, I always ask about what methods they are using to find a job.
Related:How To Get A Hiring Manager's Name
The majority of candidates rely primarily on job boards, which is one of the most ineffective ways to get hired. It's not that you can't find a job on a job board, of course you can, but often by the time you apply, the job might be closed to getting filled or has been filled already. In any case, you're one of many candidates applying for the same position.
So how can you advance your job search?
The more people you talk to every week, the higher your chances of hearing about that one perfect job opportunity.
How many people you know and have worked with know that you're looking for a job? Many years ago after I'd finished my contract at an executive search firm in Monaco, I'd told all my colleagues in recruitment that I was looking for a new job in London. Just a couple of days later, I got sent an email with the perfect job for me and I got hired after my first interview.
So how do you find people to talk to if you're stuck behind your computer all day? A combination of networking effectively in-person and through technology like social media should do the trick. Ultimately, people hire people.
In this article, I will share a few tips on how to connect with and start conversations with people you don't know, specifically hiring managers.
1. Use LinkedIn effectively.
I hope you are already using LinkedIn and using your connections to reach a much broader group of people.
Some of them now work, or perhaps have worked in the past, in your target companies, so you can reach out to them to conduct an informational interview.
Find out what groups people at your target companies have joined and become members. This will enable you to e-mail them directly and begin to network within the group.
You can also check if you and the person you want to contact have any connections in common. If so, you can ask for an introduction through one of your mutual connections.
2. Google them.
See what information you can find on the Internet on that person. They might have attended a conference, written an article, or have a blog. You might find other ways to connect with that individual.
I remember a couple of years ago I wanted to get in contact with a strong software developer who wasn't responding to me on LinkedIn. He did however respond when I contacted him via his blog.
3. Call them or email them.
Finding someone's phone number these days doesn't have to be that difficult. If you know their employer, you can ask them to transfer you. If they have a blog or a personal website, their phone number will typically be listed there.
As for email, try to write their name, their company name, and the word "email" into Google or another search engine and you may find their email address is published somewhere.
I sometimes check the 'Press' or 'Media' section of a company page to find out what the email address format is. The email of a person dealing with PR or Investor Relations is typically listed on the website, so chances are that if the email format is say firstname.surname@companyname.com, the person you want to contact will have the same email format. It doesn't always work, but it works often enough.
4. Check their social media.
Check if the individual you want to contact has a Twitter or Google + account – that's another way you may be able to get hold of them.
5. See if they have a website.
Does this person have a blog or a business page? If so, you can use a contact form on their website to send them a message.
These days, there are many ways to connect with someone. If you are really serious about finding a job, don't rely on job boards, and talk to as many people as possible to keep progressing your job search.
If you want to learn how to use LinkedIn effectively not only as a job search tool, but as a reputation-builder and online business networking tool; how to find unadvertised jobs and how to get more interviews in a competitive job market, download my free 3-part video course Smart Strategies to Get More Interviews here.
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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