When you’re unemployed or looking for a better job, it can be easy to just shovel your resume out by the boatload through a job board to every company that has an opening vaguely matching your qualifications and hope you get phone calls, but that’s just one tool in your job-hunting toolkit.
Image: Andreas Johannsen.
We’ve already discussed how you can get your resume past HR databases and into the hands of real people, but tailoring your resume to suit every job you want isn’t enough. If you’re not seeing results scouring job boards or corporate web sites, it’s time to stop, take stock of what you’re doing, and figure out what is and isn’t working so you spend more time on the things that get you interviews and less on the crap that doesn’t.
It may seem obvious, but much like how the weekly review can save you time during the week, taking time to examine what is and isn’t working with your job search can save you time and energy when you’re looking for a new or better job.
For example, if you’ve noticed you get more callbacks by applying straight through company web sites over huge job sites, it might be time to spend less time on the job boards and more time looking at the companies you want to work for. Similarly, if emailing hiring managers is working well for you but job fairs aren’t, you might consider staying home the next time there’s a fair nearby.
Make no mistake — any opportunity to find a job is a good one, and you shouldn’t ignore good opportunities, but your time is valuable, and like anything else, it’s best spent on what gets you results. What do you think? Any job hunting tips to share? Let’s hear them in the comments below.
Time Is Money: Speed Up Your Job Search! [Career Sherpa]
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