Job markets these days tend to be very competitive, and simply applying, getting an interview, and landing a job is not that easy unless you are exceptionally lucky.
Finding a job that fits your abilities and personal style is not an impossible task, which depends greatly on how organized and professional you are.
So what are the daily strategies required for successful job hunting?
Successful job hunting requires a strategic plan to be executed consistently daily. It involves Creating a Master Resume, Searching for matching jobs via Online Boards, LinkedIn & Networking, Being Consistent, Setting up Job Alerts, Tracking, and Following up.
It’s good to have an effective job search strategy from the beginning – a series of step-by-step processes that helps you get that job.
Let’s dive into the step-by-step strategies you should implement while job hunting.
Prepare Your Master Resume
The first and most crucial step is preparing/updating your resume. Prepare this master resume that lists all your skills, experience, qualifications, and accomplishments in reverse chronological format.
It’s best practice to quantify every accomplishment listed in your resume in terms of revenue, cost, or time savings for the company. That way, the recruiter will immediately be able to see how you’re qualified for the job.
The master resume can be 5 to 6 pages, don’t restrict yourself at this stage. Later on, once you’re ready to apply for a specific job opening, you’ll prepare a highly-targeted customized resume for that job opening by including only those highly relevant accomplishments to the position.
Also, prepare a master cover letter and keep this ready.
This step is the first and most crucial step in your job search strategy – take some time to think through and prepare a master list of skills and accomplishments.
Summary of Steps:
- Create your Master Resume (Do Now)
- Create your Master Cover Letter.
- Create individual resumes tailored for each job position. Do this when you start your job application.
- Create cover letters tailored for each job position. Do this when you start your job application.
Prepare your master resume that lists all your skills, experience, qualifications and accomplishments, in reverse chronological format.
Search for Jobs That Matches Your Profile
Remember that candidates’ demand is always high, especially for skilled and experienced workers. Adopting a structured job search strategy can help you stand out from the crowd and narrow your job search to target highly-relevant jobs.
Once your master’s Resume and Cover Letter are ready, you can start with the next step of applying for jobs.
When you start applying, think about the various aspects of a job that appeals to you – like remote work, part-time work, flexible arrangements, online work, etc. This can help you identify which type of job is most appealing to you. List down the features you would like most in your new career.
Start your job search using online search engines. Search engines narrow your job search and look for highly relevant jobs in your preferred industry.
Commit time to the job hunting process; you must keep looking for jobs consistently, even when you’re busy with your current job’s commitments and responsibilities.
Summary of Steps:
- Research for job openings that matches your work profile
- Commit time to job hunting – Set aside time to search daily.
Commit time daily to search for job openings that matches your job profile. Be consistent, even when you’re busy with your current job commitments.
Job Search via Online Job Portals
One of the most common ways to find job opportunities in today’s world is by searching for jobs through popular online platforms.
The good news is that there are plenty of listings on job search sites that get updated daily. But, the bad news is that they could be a bit overwhelming, with various options. You should start by searching for the best job sites for the right job.
Some of the most popular online job portals worldwide are:
- Career Builder
- Indeed
- Glassdoor
- Monster
- Ladders
This is not an exhaustive list. Popular job portals vary with country. Go to your country’s widely used job portals and download the apps to your smartphone to start your job hunt.
Job Search via online job portals provides you with lots of daily updated job openings. Use the portals that are widely popular in your country.
Job Search via LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a professional network that allows job seekers to connect with other professionals. With 600+ million users, it’s a great place to build your network and improve your chances of being hired.
When you’re ready to start the job search process, update the “Job Seeking Preferences” on LinkedIn to let the hiring managers and employers know you’re open to new opportunities.
Optimize your LinkedIn profile to update:
- Photo
- Industry Headline
- Well-written Summary
Based on your profile, LinkedIn gives job recommendations for you (in the “Jobs” section) tailored to your current position. Or you can use the “search bar” on LinkedIn to search for jobs. Read through the job summary, skills, and requirements and if you find the job suitable for you, follow the below steps:
- Prepare a job-specific customized resume from your master resume.
- Prepare a customized cover letter from your master cover letter.
- Apply for the job.
LinkedIn can help in your job search efforts. Find relevant job listings, prepare a customized resume and cover letter for the job opening, and apply for the job.
Job Search via Networking
Networking means reaching out to people. If you are hesitant because of the fear that it might sound like self-promotion or being pushy, don’t be. Getting involved in networking can be a great way to build relationships and make new acquaintances.
Having a good network can help you move forward in your job search. Being open to connecting with others can also help you land a job and stay motivated during your job search. You might even know of job openings way before it’s published on online job portals or sites.
Being an online network, LinkedIn can also be leveraged as a tool for networking. You can start building connections even before preparing your resume or applying for jobs. Target to add at least one connection daily to your network, which can help you build a sizable network over time.
Summary of Steps:
- Build your professional network.
- Target to build at least one connection daily.
Build your professional network. Target to add new connections to your network daily and consistently build a sizable network over time.
Be Consistent in Your Job Search Efforts
Consistency is the key to an effective job search. Applying for jobs whenever motivation hits you or whenever you feel like applying for a job might not help you get a job. Remember, you might need to go through multiple rejections before landing a job or even getting an interview.
You might feel like skipping the process after a couple of days, but stick to it and do your job search consistently. No matter how disappointed you are, stick to the plan. If you’d planned to apply for two jobs daily, then follow the process.
Summary of steps:
- Select two best-match jobs from your job search/alerts
- Create individual resumes tailored for each job position.
- Create cover letters tailored for each job position
- Apply for the two positions – send an application with a cover letter and resume.
Don’t over-think or get impatient. Continue to follow the process you’ve set up daily “consistently,” and you’ll taste success.
Consistency is the key to finding success in job hunting. Follow the process, and keep applying until you land the job offer.
Setup Job Alerts
After your initial preparatory steps, once you are ready to start applying for jobs consistently and daily, set up job alerts on the online job portals and LinkedIn.
Start with a manual search, vet job listings, and see which jobs appeal to you. If the listed jobs do not match your interests, change the search criteria and try out different searches until you get this right.
Once you’re happy with the job listing results, it’s time to set up automated job alerts. Most online job sites provide the ability to set up alerts. Use this feature, update your resume to customize for each best-match job listing, and consistently apply for jobs daily.
On LinkedIn, you can also follow companies, so you get notifications when the company hires, or new job opportunities arise.
Summary of Steps
- Setup automated daily job alerts.
- Remember – consistency is the key. Take action and apply daily.
Setup automated job alerts on online job portals and LinkedIn, informing you of new job listings that match your skills and experience.
Keep Track and Follow up
Once you consistently start applying for jobs, you must keep track of all the searches and the job positions for which you’d send out applications.
If not, you can waste a lot of time trying to gather old details and probably mess up things by sending duplicate applications or forgetting to apply for shortlisted job openings.
Create a simple spreadsheet with the below details:
- Date
- Company Name
- Job Position
- Customized resume used in application
- Contact Details
- Status
- Interview Date
- Follow-up Date
Summary of Steps
- Create an excel tracker to track the jobs you’ve applied for, with status and follow-up dates.
Keep track of all your job searches, and track the jobs you’ve applied for using an excel tracker.
Final Thoughts
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.
Benjamin Franklin
While experience and skills are essential, having the right mindset, perseverance and patience are equally necessary to find success in your job search journey.
