Author: Mike Scaletti
There was a time when searching for a job meant combing listings in your local newspaper and physically bringing your resume to hiring companies. More recently it has meant searching online job boards and uploading your resume and cover letter to any position you qualify for. Times change and your strategy for looking for work need to change with it. Start by analyzing your current job search methods.
How’s Your Current Strategy Working For You?
If it’s working well, great! You are an outlier, able to utilize tried and true methods that have become less effective for most people in the disaster of a year that is 2020.
Most likely, however, it is not working well for you. Even in the best of times simply submitting your resume to as many available jobs as you can and then hoping is not likely to be a very effective means of finding work, and 2020 is anything but the best of times.
Remember that this method not working well is not an indictment of your value. You are valuable, no matter who you are or what your background is. Full stop. It's simply the method that lacks value.
If ever there was a time to start figuring out a more successful solution towards getting the attention of recruiters and hirers, 2020 is it.
Now is the Time
People are hiring, even in the midst of the pandemic. The Job Shop can assure you of that. We have open jobs! That said, the country currently has double digit unemployment rates, with the Bay Area having somewhere in the neighborhood of an 11% unemployment rate. So competition for good jobs is fierce!
While giving up can be tempting when you look at those numbers, don't give in to the temptation! You are valuable, you are talented, and with the right methods, you can find great position.
5 Job Searching Strategies To Add To Your Hunt
Build and Maintain a Short List of Your Targeted Companies While spending your time searching job boards and customizing your resume and cover letter to the jobs you find there isn't worthless, you can run the risk of applying to a lot of jobs with companies that don't actually interest you all that much. Instead, consider crafting a list of companies that you would absolutely want to work for, especially those that might not be as well known as, say, Google or Apple. Start with the industry you want to work in, and then do some research. Glassdoor is a great place to find highly rated employers by industry. Once you have your list of companies, keep an eye on their websites. These will often have internal job boards where they post their needs before putting them out to the big job boards like Indeed.
Search Out Connections Within Those Companies. LinkedIn is a fantastic tool, and if you've been investing in it the way you should, you should have tons of connections. Check the companies from your shortlist to see if you have any connections within them. Even if you don't have a 1st-degree connection, you may have a 2nd-degree connection, and with a bit of work this can be just as valuable.
Leverage Your Connections A lot of folks get stuck here. They know where they want to work, they know they have connections or potential connections there, but they don't know what to do next. The key is to be strategic with your networking. When reaching out to your network, especially if you are doing so to someone you don't know well or at all, think about the way you would want to be approached if your situations were reversed. Most likely you wouldn't want someone effectively "cold calling" you, resume in hand, asking you to give them a recommendation at your company. Instead, consider asking them for their expertise. Let them know that you are considering applying for their company and that you had a few questions about it. If you are mindful of the person's time they will likely be willing to answer your questions, especially if they sense genuine interest from you. And who knows? Build a rapport and they may even be willing to provide you with greater assistance, like giving you an introduction.
Reach Out to Past Employers While oftentimes leaving a job means never looking back, for whatever reason, sometimes people leave an employer for reasons that wouldn't discourage them from returning. Go over your past employers. If you find this to be the case, consider reaching out to them. Assuming you left on good terms and did a great job while you were there, you may should have a leg up over any other applicants. They already know you have the talent and skill to do the job!
Use The Job Shop! There are a lot of advantages to working with a staffing agency like The Job Shop. We have a client list that includes fantastic businesses throughout the Bay Area, we can provide you with career coaching and resume advice for free, and most importantly we have already built the network and connections necessary to get you your next position. We work in multiple industries, with all skill, experience, and education levels, with temp, temp-to-hire, and direct hire positions available. If you're looking for an edge in your job search, you can get it just by contacting us!
Again, using job boards and applying online to companies isn't useless, by any means. But this is 2020. If you want to get ahead of the game you need to do more. Your job search techniques and methods need to be leaner, more targetted, and above all, more strategic.
So get to it! Good luck out there, and if you do decide to make use of The Job Shop, we can't wait to hear from you!