EP35: JOB SEARCHING DURING A PANDEMIC: 5 Tips to Maximize Your Job Search & Get Hired

EP35: JOB SEARCHING DURING A PANDEMIC: 5 Tips to Maximize Your Job Search & Get Hired

 

In this episode I am going to share with you tips that will save you time in your job search, ways to help you tailor your resume and cover letter and how to create a network on LinkedIn.

Let’s get started!!

Tip #1: Start Applying

First I want to tell you that we are in a scary times as it relates to all things economy, healthcare, job market and pretty much anything. BUT if you’re unemployed or really wanting to look for a new job you need to get off your ass and start applying!

The reality is that YOU are the only person who is in control of your job search! It’s time to start applying to jobs that are active (less than 30 days old) find the ones that are an ideal fit to you and match your skills and qualifications.

For this episode, make sure you bring a pen and paper to this party! Lots of juice fuego going on!

 

Tip #2: Do Your Homework!

Job searching is daunting and time consuming. I am here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be hard! But you have to read the job descriptions to make sure that you’re applying to jobs that are a match to you.

I do have to tell you that the only way you can get out of this process is hiring a head hunter or going directly to a temp agency that actively recruits in your field/industry.

Now, if you’re truly wanting to invest in yourself and in your career but creating an effective strategy, I am here to show you a tip that can save you tons of time while browsing through the job boards. Now we know the common job search tools are Google, Indeed, and LinkedIn. Hopefully you’re familiar with these and if you aren’t it’s time to dive in.

Before we jump into this search strategy, I want you to have an awareness of two important parts of this search.

1. What is the industry you’re interested in working in?
2. What level of your career are you in?

These are critical in pinpointing to be able to maximize your search. These two keywords will make up part of what is called a Boolean Search. A Boolean search is a very specific search strategy that will help you delivery clear results and save you time in the search process. Here’s how you create a Boolean search:

Ex: “entry level” AND “finance” These two words in quotations (“) are the keyword identifiers that will allow the searching gods (google or whatever search engine) to find the specific things you want in the job description. The word AND is the modifier in the search that is going to ask the search engine to show you job descriptions that include the two keywords: entry level and the finance. Go try this NOW! (well after the episode is over or pause and comeback) Some other modifiers you can add are NOT and OR.

This method will maximize our job search and help you save time but also make your search more specific and limited by the words you include. You then want to scroll through the results and be sure to identify the ones that speak to you and your heart (5-10 is a good number) and go through each job and read it in detail.

Next you want to copy and paste the job description into a word/google doc. Be sure to get all of the text from the site. This is where the fun starts. You’re going to tailor yourself to the job!

Each job description you read is different from the next, regardless of the industry because each company has different values and objectives and they expect their employees to have unique skills and requirements. This is what makes each job different and each company culture different too!

Something to bear in mind while reading the job description is to pay attention to the words that start to repeat themselves. Take the highlighter and highlight them. Then start to look for themes of competencies that are in the description and highlight those too!

These keywords and competencies are going to be critical for your resume and cover letter. More on this later!

After you’ve marked up the job description, go through and review the details specific to the responsibilities and the workplace expectations. You’re going to want to write down an example of what you can do specific responsibilities for each bullet or paragraphs. Here’s an example:

Must have experience in creating and customizing reports while having experience in data analysis.

In this example I’ve underlined the two keywords to showcase to you so you know what type of words to look for. You want to create your example on what experience you have in doing this type of work.

Doing this for the job description is going to come in handy for your resume and cover letter.

 

Tip #3: The Resume

The resume is the most critical tool to your job search tool kit. You always want to have what I call a “Career Ready” resume at all times. This is your master resume that you put all of your experience in. This is also the resume that you keep your entire work history recorded in. Most employers expect the last 7-10 year of work experience.  

This resume you can break down by:

• Relevant work
• Industry work
• Or by decades depending on how long you’ve been working

It’s really up to you. The important thing is that you keep this version some place safe and easily accessible.

When you need to use it to apply to your next job, you can then copy and paste all of the essential details from it to create a custom tailored resume for the job you want.

That’s right, you must tailor your resume each time you apply to a new job! The strategy I outlined for you in tip #2 is all about reading the job description and is going to require you to incorporate the keywords in the job description into your resume and the competencies/examples in your cover letter. This is all of the juicy SEO that you need to be sure to include in your resume to make it stand out and also be on top.

 

Tip #4: Cover Letter

So cover letter maybe read less and less but they are not obsolete, just yet! Cover letters are used to help the hiring manager and recruiter identify your communication skills, aka writing skills and how your experience relates to the responsibilities in the job description. Those examples we talked about in tip #2 will come out to shine!

All of the keywords and experience is needed in the cover letter for employer to ready your story and make the correlation to you and their position, to you and their company and why you’re their ideal candidate.

One thing you should know that many people don’t know unless you’ve worked in HR is that companies who have strong applicant tracking systems (ATS) use keywords to help them filter through a long list of applicants. Using keyword search in ATS allows the recruiter and the hiring manager to save time in review hundreds of applicants and help them create a short list. You ultimately want to be on that short-list!

Tip #5: Networking- LinkedIn

In today’s world, networking is a fundamental part of the job search. This is having conversations, connecting with people in different space and developing relationships. The term “it’s not about what you know, it’s who you know!” Is super important for your job search. LinkedIn is the #1 tool used today to build a network, connect with people and find jobs. Start searching for people who do what you do and send them a personalized invitation to connect with them. Tell them why you want to connect!

Look for recruiters at companies you have an interests in working with as well. This is important to help you develop the network but also establish relationships.  

Are You Looking for Some FREE Coaching? 

Let’s setup a free 30 minute coaching call to get you on the right path. Email us at hello@coachingwithjosemiguel.com, slide into our DM’s on Instagram and Facebook @josemiguellongo

We have a coaching package for everyone’s needs! Be sure to visit the website: http://www.coachingwithjosemiguel.com

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If you like this episode please leave us a review. It would mean the world. Also let us know what else you want to learn or hear.

Xo,

José Miguel

#jobsearch #resume #coverletter #jobs #apply #LinkedIn #network #networking