If you are currently looking for work, you’re not alone. In the United States alone, there are over 5 million job-seekers. If you find yourself in that group, you may be wondering how you can beat out the competition while on the job hunt. Luckily, with so many tools available online, attracting recruiters is easier than it has ever been. Here is a list of the best resources to use during your job search.
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1. Professional Social Networks
Source: Prefabricados Pujol
Today, over 70% of employers admit to checking their potential employees online. Specifically, most recruiters check on LinkedIn when they first receive your application. LinkedIn branding is one of the most efficient ways you can get noticed or get ahead of your competition. A great presence on social media can prove to recruiters that you’re professional, put-together, and well-equipped for the job at hand.
LinkedIn provides a great guide on optimizing your profile to achieve the best possible results. Here are a few quick ways to start:
Add a profile picture
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- LinkedIn features profiles in search results based on how complete they are. Therefore, by simply adding a nice headshot of yourself, you exponentially increase your chances of showing up on a recruiter’s search results. When choosing your profile picture, make sure that your face is visible and clear, and that you are in a professional setting.
Create a captivating header
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- Your header is the first thing a recruiter or headhunter will see whenever they visit your profile. Creating a brief statement that encompasses your entire professional career seems difficult, but you can simplify it by focusing on your main career goal. If you want to be hired as a teacher, mention that in your header. Emphasizing your goal will make you seem more credible to a recruiter.
Customize your URL
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- This is a simple step that you can take to make sharing your LinkedIn profile easier and more professional. Simply edit your profile, click on the edit icon next to your URL, and create a shorter, more personalized URL. This can be your first and last name, or a mixture of words that are relevant to your career.
Start making connections
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- Connections are the name of the game when it comes to LinkedIn. The more connections you have, the more you profile will show up in searches relevant to recruiters who have similar connections to you. 500 connections is the agreed upon optimal number you should aim for, and making them genuine, meaningful connections will benefit you in the long run.
In addition to keeping your profile up to date, you should also use LinkedIn to reach out to potential employers. Follow their pages, tag them in your posts, and message them expressing interest in their operations.
2. Website Portfolio
Source: TAB Bank
While a profile on social media networks is great, you can make a greater impact by creating an online portfolio. An online portfolio is basically a personal website you can use to showcase your work, experiences, and interests. If a recruiter searches your name online and the first hit is your website, you get to make the first impression for the employer, instead of LinkedIn or Facebook. This offers much more control about the impressions that you are making on potential employers. In addition, you can showcase more of your projects on a professional website than you can on any other platform. For example, you can provide an excerpt from project proposal as a way to prove your competence in writing, analytics, and business acumen.
Use a free website builder to create a homepage with your picture, name, resume, experiences, and the type of jobs you’re looking for. Making it beautiful is secondary, but put some effort in, as this is the first time a recruiter will see you and your work.
3. Resume Builder
Source: atidakr
Once you’ve made an impression on an employer, the next step is creating an amazing resume to secure an interview with the company. Recruiters see thousands of resumes every day, so making yours stand out is essential to landing a job.
First, organize your work experience from least to most relevant to the job you’re looking for. Only include the top three experiences on your resume, any other experience is likely irrelevant to the position. Next, write three bullet points for each experience, including quantifiable numbers for every point. For example, if you worked in sales, including phrases such as, “Made over 500 conversions, resulting in $100,000 of profits” will catch a prospective employer’s eye much better than “worked in sales.”
Once you have the information you need, consider using an online resume builder to organize and format for you. Having a resume that stands out from the competition is difficult, but following tried and true templates is a step in the right direction.
According to Resume Build, using a resume template can help you organize your information in the most attractive way possible. Resume templates have proven track records of success, so using one to format your resume is a great idea.
4. Thank You Notes
Source: Medium
After you’ve landed an interview, impressed the recruiters, and begin a long wait for your results, the best way to refresh your image in the employer’s mind is by sending a thank you email or note. By doing this, you illustrate that you are extremely interested in the role, in addition to providing an extra bit of professionalism. This little gesture may be enough to land you a second interview or a job offer.
An email is perfectly fine, but if you really want to impress your interviewers, send a handwritten note to their offices expressing your thanks for their time, effort, and consideration.
Setting yourself apart from the competition may seem daunting at first, but a little bit of know-how and the right tools can set you up for major success.
