Referrals Matter
Now, before I begin, I want to remind you of an important fact. Over 80% of all jobs today are gotten via referral. So, blindly applying online is not going to work for you. Less than 3% of the people that just apply online ever get called from recruiters or hiring managers.
The four steps that I'm going to outline for you are going to help you go around that ATS (Applicant Tracking System) and really connect with them.
So, let's break it down.
Inventory Your Skills
Step One.
You need to inventory your transferable skills. These are all the hard skills, the things that you can do that will be helpful in your next job. You may perform some or all of these things in a future position.
Get On LinkedIn
Step Two.
You're going to take those transferable skills you've identified and make sure they're optimized on both your resume and your LinkedIn profile. Recruiters are always searching on these key terms, so if you have them in those profiles, you're going to improve your chances that they'll connect with you.
Make A Bucket List
Step Three.
You're going to be proactive and create what's called an interview bucket list.
This is a list of 10 to 20 companies that you would love to work for and that hire for your skill sets.
Do your research!
Identify People At Your Bucket List Companies
Step Four.
Finally, you're going to identify people that work at the companies on your bucket list and use your networking connections to get introduced to them.
You want to be able to have conversations with people who are currently employed at these companies. They can help you understand what it takes to stand out in the hiring process and potentially introduce you to hiring managers.
The Most Efficient Way To Find A New Job
This brings me back to my very first point about getting referred into companies. This is the best, fastest, most efficient way for you to find a new job while you're working, because you don't have time all day to spend in job search. Work smarter, not harder!
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