Finding employment can be tricky, especially if you're looking for work that doesn't exist yet. A great way to make your job search more efficient is by posting online using tools like LinkedIn and Facebook.
Both of these sites offer employment services to help you look up jobs and apply via their platform. The best thing about this approach is it does all the hard work for you!
The applications are pre-populated with good info so you don’t have to add any extra details, which saves you time from having to take notes or find the information yourself. This also gives employers a better picture of you since everything is already curated.
There are many other benefits to using social media as a means to lookup jobs, but this article will focus on just how easy it is to use LinkedIn to find new positions.
Hiring managers read all of these things in resumes
More than half of all employers say they spend at least 30 minutes per job looking through a candidate’s resume, making it one of the most important documents they will review during the hiring process.
With that much time spent evaluating your qualifications, you should make sure that yours are as strong as possible.
The first place many people begin is by trying to prove their skills via achievements. While great achievements are impressive, they aren’t always proof that someone can do a specific thing.
A lot of professionals with Master's degrees have to demonstrate those credentials by talking about knowledge that goes beyond what’s on the degree. A similar situation exists for professional certificates and licenses.
In both cases, there’s a good chance that even though they've been awarded, you won’t know what they were for or who issued them. If such proofs don’t exist in your career portfolio, look into getting them!
It may cost some money up front, but it'll help you get more employment.
Thus, they must be present on every resume
While it’s great that you are willing to put your career online, you have to make sure this doesn’t hurt your chances of being hired in the real world. Employers look at how professional you are, so there is no reason to expose personal or embarrassing pictures or videos.
They also look at how well you use social media, and what you say about yourself and others comes through when you chat with them. If yours ever leaked out, would people believe you?
It is very important to maintain confidentiality and privacy settings, as well as cover photos on all accounts. Make sure you don’t include any job-hunting related content either, only things related to your normal daily life.
They want to see that you are qualified enough for the position
As we already mentioned, most employers look at your resume before meeting you. Therefore, it is very important to make sure that your CV is full of great qualities and skills that show that you are indeed qualified for the job.
Does this mean that no one should ever edit or update their resume? No! It is totally acceptable to take some time off from improving yours if you need to during a career change or because you hit a lull in employment opportunities.
But once you do decide to get into detail about enhancing your resume, there are several websites and tools that can help you do so quickly and effectively.
Make sure your resume is up to date
It’s always best to make sure your resume is as current as possible. This includes ensuring that it is easily readable, concise, and contains enough information about you.
As we mentioned before, using LinkedIn to promote yourself goes a long way in helping you land jobs. But there’s another way to use this professional networking site to improve your employment chances — posting your own job profile.
By creating an account at Indeed (a career website owned by The Ziff Davis Group), you can add your resume to their database and be seen by millions of people every month!
That’s not all – when someone searches for positions that you work in, they will be directed to your profile where they can read more about you and learn if you are looking for work within those fields.
For example, if you are passionate and knowledgeable about public relations then sharing these details with potential employers makes you seem more credible. By doing some research, you will know how PR professionals position names and descriptions so that yours stand out from the rest.
Try posting your resume online
Of course, having a job is a great way to make some extra money and you can try finding new employment through a career change. Online resources are one of the best ways to look for jobs!
There are many sites that allow you to create an account and upload your CV or résumé. Some even have it done for you, as long as they know what position you’re looking to find work in. Others may ask you questions about yourself so that they can match you with the right employer.
Finding a job this way will not be free, however. The fees per site vary depending on how much content you have and whether you are hired immediately after submitting your application or if you have to follow up later. It also depends on which sites their paid services include.
But overall, these websites can cost around $10 – $20 per job posted. There are some sites that offer more professional help at a higher price, but those are the exceptions rather than the rule.
Read everything carefully before submitting
While doing your research, make sure to read all of the information about the company thoroughly! Companies send many different things when asking you to apply with them, so be prepared for that.
Also, do not submit your resume unless you have saved it in the right format. Many companies will ask you to upload your own CV or use their pre-made ones they provide. Make sure these are easily editable and look professionally done!
In addition to this, some employers may run a background check which requires proof of identity and employment. Make sure to always confirm this ahead of time!
Overall, being able to show how well you can navigate the waters of the workplace is one of the most important qualities to have as an employee. Being familiar with the processes and procedures makes you stand out from the rest and sets you apart from those who are only familiar with staying up late and drinking coffee until everyone else drops off.
Always include your contact information
Even if you’re not looking to change employers at this time, it is always best to keep yourself organized by including your phone number, email address, and possibly LinkedIn profile in your resume.
This way, if someone does happen to run into you while searching for work, they can easily get in touch with you!
It also helps people know where to find you if you are seeking employment. A lot of times, recruiters will check out job applications online before contacting you for an interview.
By having these details readily available, you have eliminated one possible reason for them to skip that step.
Practice creating and editing your resume
Having a great looking, strong career portfolio is one of the most important things you can do to make sure you don’t have to spend too much time finding work. But how to create that winner-take-all look isn’t as simple as picking up a notebook and going through all the applications with your best smile.
Instead, try designing your own career win-bag by practicing making and updating your CV or résumé. Create yours from scratch using no templates and then edit it to match what works and get results!
There are plenty of ways to practice transforming your career win bag – from free online tools to paid apps and software.
