Defining Your Goals

Upon starting the job search process, there are likely some mixed insecurities floating around and clogging your decision making process. The first and foremost concern should be of sorting out these self-doubts and solidifying your certainty in making the decision of whether or not to hunt for a new job.

Pose the question of why you feel you’re lacking out at your current position, and further, what factors could reshape your mindset.

• Then, transform these key points into tangible goals you can seek out.

Here is a brief list of some possible goals you may consider evaluating:

• Work Enviornment
• Salary and Benefits
• Potential for Growth
• Level of Responsibility
• Work Hours
• Work Life Flexibility

Preparing a Schedule

With clearly defined goals, you should be ready to prepare a schedule. The vitality of this step cannot be understated. WIthout a schedule, you may find yourself falling into the habit repeated procrastination and the process in its entirety may stretch out a few additional weeks.

Fortunately, many of the most popular job boards, which post online and widely accessible job openings, send out alerts to remind their users to stick to a consistent schedule.

• Alert yourself of these messages as a way to spur yourself onto streaks of job searching.

Another consideration is the fact that job searching is ultimately just a facet of the numbers game.

• The chances are, the more applications you send, the more likely you’ll land the position you’re so eager to get your hands on.
• Setting an explicit goal, such as sending one application per day, helps you to keep this pattern consistent.

You may want to heed the advice of sending out the majority of applications on Monday or Tuesday.

• Common sense tells us that as the week progresses, especially nearing towards Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, hiring managers are less likely to check their email or continue working.

Optimizing Social Media

With the popularization of the Internet, and along with it the rise of companies such as LinkedIn, your online presence has become the axle around which the job process revolves. Optimizing your LinkedIn profile specifically is vital when attracting the attention of hiring managers

To best re-evaluate the content of your LinkedIn profile, follow along with the tips below…

• Mentions education and professional certifications
• No misleading or otherwise dishonest information
• Has been proofread by friend, family member, or colleague/professional
• Is free of spelling and grammar errors
• Mention of volunteer experience
• Elaborates on comprehensive list of skills
• Highlights major career achievements
• Is keyword-optimized
• Is keyword-optimized
• Has a customized URL (as in no numbers or other special characters)
• Contains an engaging headline
• Features a professional profile picture, presumably with a headshot

Requesting References

While not all job listings will explicitly request references, preparing 3-5 contacts in whom you feel comfortable placing trust will help ensure you’re prepared for when the time may come.

• In terms of who is eligible for selection to write a reference, simply go off who you feel you have the strongest connection with.
• Common recommendations include professors, former employers, or mentors.

Although you may at first be tempted to ask your company for a reference, most companies have strict policies around sending out such information.

• While they may readily provide details on salary, job title, or dates of employment, other information is generally kept private.
• For this reason, you’ll have to find someone willing to speak from personal experience, rather than on behalf of the company.

Keep an active list of contacts used for references. To initiative conversation with one of them, simply ask respectfully if they’re willing to serve as a reference.

• When the time rolls around that a prospective employer is getting ready to check their references, give everyone on the list a reminder.

Circumvent the Applicant Tracking System

The all-so dreaded Application Tracking System or ATS, instantly weeding out applicants based solely on keywords or formatting. To prevent from being automatically screened out, make sure you’re including keywords listed in the job opening.

If you feel as though you need a bit of extra assurance, websites such as JobScan are engineered for the very purpose of analyzing the content between a job listing and resume.

• Running your application through such an engine may help to highlight any details needing to be edited.

Communication Strategy

Granted you’ve passed the preliminary resume scan through, and your hiring manager makes the decision to advance the discussion, you should be prepared for responding to any phone calls or email messages sent your way. An unprofessional tone or greeting message may throw off your employer, violating the level of professionality inherent across the rest of your application.

Phone Etiquette:

• Return all calls within the period of 18 hours, any interval longer may send the signal of disinterest
• Setup a clear and professional outgoing voicemail
• Verify that your voicemail box is not full

Email Etiquette:

• Send a professionally titled email address
• Add a professional email signature for extra flare
• Use a grammar checker such as Grammarly to catch any spelling or punctuation mistakes

Understanding Negotiation

By this point you will have made it as far as negotiating a deal with an employer, that’s a massive step forward! The tricky contingency that comes with negotiation is finding a comfortable compromise without giving the impression of arrogance or entitlement.

The best way to ensure you communicate yourself clearly is to establish your checkpoints before the start of the interview.

• Having clearly outlined what you’re looking for, you won’t choke in the heat of the moment and give into the employer’s negotiative skills.

It may also help to cite factual data, such as average salary earnings or cost of living in your area as a way to substantiate your arguments. To find such information, we recommend browsing through sites such as Salary.com or Glassdoor.