Finding a job is difficult. Finding a job during Covid times is even more difficult. The economic downturn has led to companies not just laying off their employees but also having to cut down on recruitment budgets. This in turn has led to increased competition for limited job openings.
But the good news is economy is now on the upward trend. Companies are now drawing up their recruitment strategies as they look at growth and expansion. Moreover, remote working environment has opened opportunities regardless of location.
Now is the right time to plan your strategy to find that dream job. With our 6-week strategic approach to your job search and application process, you can make your profile shine and grab job offers.
Week 1 – Introspection
For any good strategy to work, it is important that it is backed by introspection and research.
Start this week by introspecting on what is it that you are looking for, in terms of company, job profile, values, etc. Compare this with where you are right now. This will help in narrowing down your search in terms of the industry, role, position that you would like to apply for.
Once you are clear about your ideal job/role, do some research about it to see if your skills (hard and soft) are in line with what the recruiters are looking for. It is never too late to add a few skills or certifications to your profile.
Use this time to bring clarity in your career goals and creating the strategy to achieve those goals.
Week 2 – Create a Great Marketing Story
Now that you are clear about what kind of jobs you should be applying for, start working on the ammunition for a killer pitch.
Your resume and your social media handles, especially LinkedIn are your most important tools in creating your personal brand online. The more powerful your profile is, the greater your chance of standing out in the highly competitive employer’s market.
Update your resume to the latest formats and highlight your achievements. Quantify them wherever you can. For eg. Helped improve sales by 43% in the year 2020 or managed a team of 8.
The Hiring manager goes through many resumes in a day. Give them the information they are looking for, in simple language. Provide summary and make bullet points.
Give them the narrative behind your career path, so that they can see clearly why they should hire you.
Your social media profile is equally important. Go through your LinkedIn profile from the point of view of a hiring manager. Ensure it is updated and include keywords based on your job profile.
Remove posts that are not in line with your career goals. Include your latest professional profile picture. Profile with pictures receive more views and connection requests.
Improve your Social Selling Index on LinkedIn by beefing up your network. Add relevant connections. Create relevant posts. Share articles pertaining to your area of work. Increase your activity on LinkedIn. This will make your profile more visible to potential employers. Work on your other profiles on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter too on similar lines.
Week 3 – Start Applying
You are now ready to apply for jobs. Now that you are clear about the kind of job you should apply for, start looking for relevant and most recent job postings.
It is a good strategy to do some research on the company before applying. You can tweak your resume to highlight certain skills or attributes based on the job posting. For eg. in the current remote working scenario, employees are looking for self-motivation, time management skills. If you think you are a self-starter, highlight that in your resume with data to support it.
Create a strong cover letter. Your Cover Letter is like an invitation to read your resume. Make it an interesting one. One way to do that is by relating your top skills or achievements to specific job requirements mentioned in the posting. This will go a long way in projecting you as a proactive and confident candidate.
Week 4 – Network
Once your job applications are done, you can spend this week getting in touch with your existing network and creating new connections. Networking is a great tool to apprise yourself of the job openings before they hit the open market.
Connect with people over phone calls or meet them if possible. Let them know what you are looking for and if they can connect you with any prospective employers.
Week 5 – Work on Interview Skills
You should now start hearing back from the recruiters. This week you should work on your interview skills. Online interviews are the new norm.
This week you can try out some mock interviews, online and in person. Prepare answers for the most common questions –“Tell us something about yourself”. Or “Why do you think we should hire you?”
Do some homework on the companies you have applied for.
Work on soft skills which help you look confident and in control like eye contact, posture etc.
Keep your clothes ready, to avoid last minute surprises.
Week 6 – Follow-up
Now that we are at the end of the 6-week strategy, you should have heard from some of the companies that you applied to. This week is for follow ups.
Follow up on the companies that you have not heard from.
Follow up with the hiring managers at the companies where you have appeared for interviews.
Follow up with your connections about any job openings they might have heard about.
Just as with any strategy, fine tune your plan. Find out what worked and where do you need to make improvements and start over again.
Continue to apply, prepare for interviews, connect with people.
You may not see instant results, but with some persistence & hard work, you will get the job of your dreams soon.
