5 Ways to Make Your Job Search More Effective

There is job searching... and then there is job searching. And by the latter we mean really going all out to make sure you do the right things to land your dream job.

In fact, searching for a job is a job itself, which means you give it 100 per cent and improve each search to get the results you desire. Simply sending in a resume and cover letter isn’t going to cut it, not when there are 100 other candidates applying for the same job.

The key to success is in maximising your job search efforts. Here are five ways to it.

#1 Think like a recruiter
The average recruiter probably spends a minute looking through your resume and cover letter. You need to make it impressive to catch his or her attention in that short period of time.

Put yourself in the place of the recruiter. You are not likely to hire someone job hops, has typos in the resume and cover letter, is vague about their work history timeline, and doesn’t have the right experience.

Who a recruiter is likely to call for an interview? Simple – a candidate with a direct but organised resume highlighting relevant work experience to the job he or she is applying for.

#2 Get organised
Which brings us to point two – get all your relevant documents (cover letter, resume, work sample and certifications if required) ready to go. But wait – don’t send the same resume and cover letter to all the companies you’re applying for. You need to tweak it so that it clearly suits the requirements the company is asking for.

Create a core cover letter and resume that you can easily edit for the position you’re applying to. Review the job description and see which of your skills and past experiences fit the description. Narrow in on what the employee wants – make sure that all the important details are listed on the top half of the page as hiring managers tend to scan quickly.

You can store the customised cover letter and resume in organised folders that clearly indicate the job and company you’re applying for.

Read how you can tailor your resume to a job here [https://graduan.com/graduantop10-how-to-tailor-your-resume].

#3 Do up a job search schedule
Don’t just job search whenever you feel like it. Do up a schedule and stick to it so that you’re really focused and dedicated in finding a suitable role.

You can break down the process throughout the week. For example, you’ll spend two hours each day doing the following: Looking and shortlisting the relevant job openings on Monday; drafting and reviewing your cover letter on resume on Tuesday; preparing a draft email for each job application on Wednesday; reviewing everything once more and sending out your applications on Thursday. You can follow up a week later for any updates. Working? Divide the tasks for all of the above during the weekend and nights.

#4 Keep the distractions away
Got your schedule up? Good – now make sure you are completely dedicated and focused on the task ahead. Don’t get distracted by your pet, phone, sibling, TV, Facebook.

We recommend that you hole up in a quiet place where you can focus so that you don’t make mistakes like typos in your resume, sending out a cover letter you wrote for a different position to a different company, or missing out important requirements for your application).

#5 Track of your effort
Applied for a job in Company A? Make sure you jot it done. This way, you can avoid applying for the same job twice or wondering if you’ve already reviewed a particular opening (or not) to see if it suits you.