How to Get a Job Today
One of the most difficult and dispiriting things you can do in life is hunt for a job. It’s rare to be doing it under ideal circumstances: if you don’t currently have a job, you have to cope with an encroaching sense of panic as each additional day without income eats into your resources. If you’re already working, you have to balance the demands of a full-time job with the considerable effort of finding your next one.
There, however, some low effort steps you can take to make the search a bit easier, and even make it easier for employers to find you.
Log on to LinkedIn
However irritating its ubiquitous emails may be, LinkedIn is undeniably an asset to anyone engaged on a job hunt. It’s a social network where your main identity is your CV, and there is no shame in selling yourself to the best of your ability.
Make sure you’ve identified some key words about the job you want and repeated them throughout your profile: your job title, qualifications and specialism are all options that could help your profile come to the top of the pile when a recruiter is looking for the next post they want to fill.
If you don’t have time for a full rewrite, simply making sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date with your latest job title and achievements help it to be a useful tool to sell recruiters on your skills.
Find the Right Recruiter
Not all recruitment firms are created equal and it’s worth devoting some time to the task of finding one that can do the best job of connecting you with the right businesses. For example, if you’re a senior accountant, with board experience, a high street recruiter simply won’t have the contacts to connect you with the best jobs for your level.
Taking the time to find a firm specialising in Executive Search will pay off in job offers with better pay, better benefits and simply more interesting responsibilities.
Phone a Friend
Make sure you’re consulting your professional networks. Looking for a job can be isolating, so talking to experienced, sympathetic friends can help you maintain your mental equilibrium at this tricky time.
As well the benefits to your mood, letting your professional contacts know that you are looking for a job can get you some great advice, offers to review your CV and even connections with employers who are looking for someone with just your skills! Don’t discount your friends as a source of vital job search intelligence!