My focus on this page is sharing suggestions for your ‘job’ search. It isn’t about applying to massive amounts of jobs. It’s about finding the right job for you. The job may be your dream job or a good match for your skills and experience.
Content is the queen of your successful job search – even interacting a small amount on networking & job sites like LinkedIn can showcase you to hiring organizations.
If you find yourself out of a job due to a lay-off, reduction in force, or you’ve been fired. Your first instinct might be to blast out your resume. Do it if it makes you feel like you’re in control. Or wait one moment and do the following:
Create a list of your target jobs & target companies
Create a list of people at those companies or in those fields that you want to meet
Follow those companies or people on places like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Snap, and follow them where they are.
Engage with those people & companies on their pages / their accounts. Interact with their posts, their comments, and follow their announcements.
If they are a public company, look up their annual report and skim or read it. Review their websites and social presence, and visit their physical business locations (if they are in retail).
When you know something about the company or person, consider reaching out to key people at those businesses – potential key decision makers – but also reach out to your connections that might know people at those companies. Your contacts can introduce you to anyone at these companies. Get in the door and interact. Don’t ask for a job. Converse – share – listen – learn from these people. Ask questions. Interact with them on social and by email if you have email addresses.
Look for roles at those companies that align with your target jobs or might be a good match for your current skills. Before applying, reach out to some of those you met at those companies. Ask them to share information about the open position, the manager, the environment, and the subculture. At this point, they might even suggest an introduction to the hiring manager or HR. Fantastic. If they aren’t ready, you can still let them know that you will apply for the position. Do they have any recommendations for your application?
When you apply to the open position – find a connection that you know (or is connected to someone you know) and ask that person for an introduction to the hiring manager or HR, so your application can move to the top of the pile.
Repeat – Repeat – Repeat
Make a new list of target companies & people.
Repeat – Repeat – Repeat
It might not be the standard next point, but expand your list of target companies and look for other companies – consider a more extensive target base – if you feel the need to apply more aggressively. During a down economy or recession, many companies shrink their workforce. Look where jobs are prevalent in your skill set. When I found Mint Mobile, an ideal company for many now, it wasn’t Mint Mobile. Ryan Reynolds didn’t own it. Don’t limit yourself, or you might not go to an Ultra Mobile that becomes a Mint Mobile.
If you find yourself getting interviews quickly, don’t take a break from your job hunting – because you’re interviewing. Continue your job hunting. You can take a break – but continue your job hunt until you start at your new job.
Resume
About your resume, you should have an updated resume for your current job, always on-hand with the key accomplishments listed as bullets.
You should adjust your resume for each job that you are targeting. Don’t lie. Don’t fudge information.
If you are a marketing manager applying to a Social Media Manager role, make sure your social media experience is listed in your bullets – try to key-in on the job description. If the job description mentions Facebook ad experience, share your Facebook ad experience in your accomplishments.