Finding a good job. Not the job you took out of college to pay the bills, but a job, job. One that you are passionate about. One that you can grow in. One that you are proud to tell people about at cocktail parties.
By now, you probably know that I am a big fan of Personal Branding. Heck, most of Go.Work.Life. revolves around crafting your brand and perfecting your “Digime.” But this is just the first step in positioning yourself as an expert job-seeker.
After hearing from lots of young professionals about how they were able to land a great job, I am going to give you some insight into getting that ever-elusive interview and the proper way to job hunt in the 21st century.
1. Get Your Digital Ducks in Order
At this point, you know you’ll be on a job hunt, but you haven’t started sending out resumes or connecting with recruiters on LinkedIn. This is the time to dust off those old social profiles. Do not do this after you have already started the search.
Make sure everything is in order:
– Your profile pictures are up-to-date
– All of your contact information is correct
– Your recent work & educational experience is accounted for
– You’ve added skills and asked for endorsements on your LinkedIn Profile
– You’ve removed all of those pictures from your weekend in Vegas
You know… that sort of stuff.
Believe me, if the company has decided to give you a call about your application, they’ve already checked you out online.
2. Develop a Resume That is Suited for Today’s Age
This is something that many professionals struggle with. You want to fit every last detail about yourself onto one page so that the potential employer doesn’t miss a thing. Sound familiar? This is not the way to do it.
Did you know that, on average, corporate job openings attract more than 250 resumes, but only 4 to 6 people will get called for an interview, and 1 person will get the job.
That means you have to find a way to stand out. There are many ways to do this, none of which include cramming more information on one page. Try some of these tips or evenbuy a template from Creative Market – it’s worth the investment.
– Add white space. This will make it look “cleaner” and will be a nice break on the recruiter’s eyes
– Add color. Not too much, but a little bit of color on your resume will automatically make it stand out and show your creativeness
– Change the format. Try playing around with where each section is located. Put the more important information first such as experience and skill set.
– Add social profiles. What used to be a strange practice has now become the standard in resume writing. In fact, it’s strange it you’re not on social media
3. Become a Digital Networking Ninja
LinkedIn has truly changed the world of job hunting. In my opinion, it’s one of two worthwhile ways to job hunt in the 21st century (the other way being in-person).
Harnessing the power of LinkedIn is like being at a networking event with CEOs, Recruiters, & Employees from every company you could possibly imagine and you have the power to go right up to them and say hello.
Let me give you an example of how you can use LinkedIn to get a foot in the door.
Say you want a job at company XYZ, but it’s highly-competitive and you don’t know anyone who works there. Perfect. Time for LinkedIn.
Start by finding an employee who works at XYZ and reach out to them. Ask them how they like working for the company and what their role is within the company. This will help to build rapport with at least one person there. It’s better than none!
Once you’ve done that, ask this employee where you might apply or if they could recommend someone in the company to reach out to directly.
Now you have a job lead (and hopefully the name of the hiring manager).
This will not work with every company or person that you reach out to. But trust me, being a proactive networker on LinkedIn will put you well-ahead of those who “spray and pray” with their resumes.
4. Knock On Doors
Yes, I know. How outdated!
In the digital world that I am so adamant you become a part of, I strongly believe that there is always room for good ol’ face-to-face conversation.
This comes after the digital part, of course, but walking into a company that you have your eyes on works wonders for your job hunting experience.
Not only does this give the impression that you are serious about applying to their company, but it allows the recruiter to put a face to the resume.
Even if you don’t meet the hiring manager in-person, they will receive a print copy of your resume and cover letter right to their desk. How’s that for standing out?
Final Tip
Think Like a Proton. Always Positive. You may not land the job you really want in the first week of searching. It may not happen for a while.
But that doesn’t mean you’re not talented. Keep your head up and your ear to the ground because there is a perfect job out there for you. And once you find it, you’re going to knock it out of the park.
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