The pandemic has certainly changed how we approach job hunting.
But most importantly it has radically altered the power dynamic between employees and employers and even changed how people even go about selecting a job. The US labor market has seen these massive changes in just a few years.
Yes, having to search for a new job during a pandemic has its definitive challenges, but it’s not as impossible as one might think. All you need is the right attitude.
Finding your dream job can be easy
Right.
Finding the dream job for you is about knowing what you want out of your career and then figuring out how to get there. Start by looking at your current resume and skills, then see what experience and skills you need in order to land yourself a juicy new position.
Sometimes landing your dream job can be a longer process of strategic choices. Others, it’s all about optics.
Are there tools which can help you?
Thankfully, you don’t need to stick to job adverts in your local newspaper anymore.
From tools to hashtags to online resources, the Internet has everything you could ever need in order to land the job you’ve always been dreaming about. You don’t even have to pay to play. All you need is patience and a little bit of time. “For example you can use resume builders in order to create resume”
6 ways to optimize this process
Use RSS feed readers
It’s not uncommon to hear that looking for a new job (especially if it falls under the category of dream job) is a fulltime job itself. Between several job sites, forums and social media resources, your attention is pulled in many directions all at once. Working smart is always better than working hard. Hence, RSS feed readers!
You might not initially think of them as suitable tools, but you’d be surprised how efficient they are at helping you find a brand new job. The least you can do is follow your top companies for any job advertisements.
You can always prep on industry news and how to prep for a job interview using the content shared on the RSS reader itself. Many readers like Inoreader have a content discovery tool, and you can subscribe to basically any feed on a site with its browser extension.
One dashboard contains all possible leads and open positions.
Use your network
It never hurts to ask around. Recommendations are as old as capitalism itself. There are companies out there, which reward employees with a monthly bonus for every successful applicant. You may feel a bit skeptical about your own personal connections, your friends and family will turn to their immediate connections.
If all else fails, turn to Facebook and Twitter. Put yourself out there (not without the appropriate hashtags for added visibility) and ask people to signal boost your availability. This particular tip has more to do with filling out a position quickly in a pinch and I don’t usually recommend it for targeting a dream position.
Still. Nothing is stopping you from directly tagging your favourite company on Twitter and shoot your shot.
Attend events
Never underestimate the power of networking face to face. Arguably this was way easier before the pandemic and in many countries it’s still not viable to hold physical events. At the same time, the events’ industry is slowly making a comeback with large exhibitions and trade shows returning either as all-physical or as a hybrid event.
Now more than even digital conferences, panel discussions and readings are in their prime and all events have some kind of interactive component. If you can’t manage to attend things in person for whatever reason, make the most out of digital events. No chat feature? See whether there’s a Twitter hashtag for the event, which you could join and engage with attendees there.
Be active on LinkedIn
Speaking of social media. Let’s talk about the granddaddy of all job-seeking LinkedIn.
Honestly, you can’t do without LinkedIn, if your ambition is to advance your career and climb the corporate ladder whatever industry you’re in. From personal experience, I can tell you that some recruiters will go after profiles that are not particularly active or even dormant. Now imagine what you can do with a fully optimized profile.
Dust off your account and look into how to appear as an attractive candidate. Update your profile picture. Look into the skillsets other people employed in your dream position have listed and then tailor your profile. Don’t forget to join groups and posts. LinkedIn is also useful in making first interactions with your top potential employers.
Identify different job sources
It’s not in your best interest to focus your search on just one job site. Indeed, Monster, Glassdoor – they’re just the beginning. You have different job boards based on your location and profession. Be sure to consider all options, and if you use an RSS reader like I told you to, you won’t feel even a tiny bit overwhelmed about having to follow that many different sources.
LinkedIn groups are useful to add to your list. Twitter abounds with hashtags for finding a job like #jobhunt chat and #hireme.
And I’m mentioning this again – keep an eye out on your dream companies. Newsletters, blogs, social media presence. You never know when an opportunity will arise.
Be flexible and know what you search for
This last piece of advice is about managing expectations. I’ve seen many who have lost on great opportunities career wise just because they weren’t the right opportunities. Life is not perfect and maybe that ONE precious job spot will not become open right away, so that doesn’t mean you have to close all other doors. You’d be surprised how winding career trajectories can be, and some jobs, while not exactly what you want might be exactly what you need to turn you into a better rounded professional.
Plus, there’s always some transference of skill no matter what you position you land in.
