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Tips on job searching

tploeger

New member
Hey! I've been job searching for a little while now and have not had much success. What are some tips y'all have to increase chances of getting an interview?
 

khop83

New member
Work your contacts! Reach out to people with whom you have a professional relationship and see if they have any leads. Many times an internal recommendation can get your resume moved to the top of the pile. Have a professional go over your resume to see if they can spruce it up or find any errors. And don't forget to include keywords in the job description in your resume and cover letter. A lot of times computer programs scan for these words and filter out any that lack whatever skills the company wants.
 

TroySoldier

New member
The biggest and most successful tip I have is to make sure your resume fits for each job description. Updating and catering your resume for each prospective employer is crucial.
 

Zeitgeist

New member
I'm in the same boat, but something that I've been told is to make sure you have something that makes you stand out beyond the information that you have on your resume/cover letter. Be creative! The person who gave me this advice is a recruiter. She said that it gets pretty boring looking at the same stuff all of the time. Having things that are unique will make you stand out. She did admit that not every recruiter will go for something like that, but she said that as long as it fits your field, then you might as well try!
 

michalaw

New member
The most important thing I learned in college is networking! Always reach out to people you know of friends of friends to see what opportunities they might have. I am in the same boat, and I haven't had that much luck finding a full time job either, so I have reached out to my network and that helps.
 

btelli

Member
I have found it helpful to include a cover letter, even when it isn’t a requirement for a job posting. It also helps to tailor the cover letter to each position that you’re applying for. That way it looks like you’ve put a little extra effort into each job application, which I’ve been told that recruiters notice. It should be well-written and free of errors of course! I keep a few different cover letters that I’ve written for myself and change them up a little depending on the position I’m applying for.
 

kes29

New member
I've had the most success with showing my personality through my application. My resume is pretty standard, but when I really want a job I modify my cover letter so that it's the one that sticks out from the crowd. I'm not saying go wild and crazy, but making it sound like you took the time to write this letter to show why and how you're the best fit for the position.

Also, never be afraid to apply for things you're not 100% qualified for. Employers list their "ideal candidate" requirements but often will settle for the right personality fit or someone they believe can be trailed for the role.
 

Nick90

New member
I'm in a similar situation. Besides networking, something that's worked for me is LinkedIn Pro. It costs a little bit each month, but I've gotten way more success in getting interviews. I've heard good things about Indeed, so I recently signed up for that as well.
 

kes29

New member
I'm in a similar situation. Besides networking, something that's worked for me is LinkedIn Pro. It costs a little bit each month, but I've gotten way more success in getting interviews. I've heard good things about Indeed, so I recently signed up for that as well.
I keep getting offers to do a free trial for LinkedIn Pro but have been debating if it's really worth it or not. Do you think that it is? Even just a month's worth of Pro features? I've been unemployed about 3 weeks now and am definitely going stir crazy.

Indeed is great! I tend to have the best luck the last few years through that site.
 

Nick90

New member
I keep getting offers to do a free trial for LinkedIn Pro but have been debating if it's really worth it or not. Do you think that it is? Even just a month's worth of Pro features? I've been unemployed about 3 weeks now and am definitely going stir crazy.

Indeed is great! I tend to have the best luck the last few years through that site.
I have an interview I got through the site next week, so we'll see if it's worth it, haha. Maybe try it for a month and see if you like it. You also get access to their learning site which has a ton of great courses that you can add to your profile when you complete them. Wow, I totally sound like an ad for them, but I'm not I promise!

Still figuring out Indeed, hopefully I'll have some luck there too.
 

jamienoelle

New member
The job search struggle is difficult. I can relate as I am job searching myself because despite having a full-time position, I am not happy. I think that the biggest thing I can recommend is to take a hard look at your resume. Cover letters are only read about 50% of the time, but they will always look at your resume! Depending on what field you are in, you should really consider making your resume stand out. Personally, I work in content creation and public relations and I have designed my resume to reflect my creative ability. Second, you should adjust your resume for each job. You don't need to make up things, but as much as possible, the bullet points on your resume should line up with the tasks of the job. Lastly, put specific results in your resume, a hiring manager should be able to know a few of the exact things that you achieved in a previous role.

Don't give up and don't settle! The right job will come around and sometimes there are first a lot of rejections.
 

FarmerJennie

New member
Don’t forget to look on Glassdoor. There’s advice on what the interviews are like - even if you aren’t at that stage or can’t find the exact job title you are applying for, the notes from other applicants might give hints at what is important to the company in the process or what their culture is like!
 

SteedBonnet

New member
I keep getting offers to do a free trial for LinkedIn Pro but have been debating if it's really worth it or not. Do you think that it is? Even just a month's worth of Pro features? I've been unemployed about 3 weeks now and am definitely going stir crazy.

Indeed is great! I tend to have the best luck the last few years through that site.
I have signed up for free trials for LinkedIn Premium in the past. I always cancel before I am charged. It's very easy to cancel. There are a few good features that are advantageous.
 

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