One common mistake that we saw many jobseekers make was starting their search without first narrowing down their target roles.
In this approach, you simply start submitting your resume on job sites and apply to job postings based on the job title.
This approach can work for template profiles - usually if you have a top university or a top company on your resume AND your profile is already aligned tightly to a role. These are the profiles recruiters are scanning the market for, so the candidates need not do the heavy-lifting.
However, if you are transitioning to a different role, have multiple roles in your resume, or are making a career shift, such as rejoining after a career gap or relocating to a new country, the above approach will not work for you.
You will need to tailor your profile to match the role. Instead of casting a wide net, which might seem like a good strategy, finding roles that truly align with your profile can lead to better success in your job search efforts. Here's a quick guide to help you on this journey -
1) Assess Your Current Profile and Target Role
Step 1 of the process is to find a good fit between your unique skills, market demand, and your career interests.
Reflect on your core professional Identity:
The first step is to clearly articulate your skillset based on your previous experience and credentials.
Think about the following questions:
What business or technical problems do you solve best?
What skills do you use to solve these problems?
What evidence do you have to solve these skills?
At the end of this step, you should have a list of 2-3 target roles with a clear value proposition of why your profile is relevant for each role.
Conduct Informational Interviews
Based on your professional identity in step 1, reach out to people in your first and second degree network (potential hiring managers), to understand hiring trends and to see how your profile aligns with the target roles.
These are some of the questions that you can ask them:
For your target roles, what kind of opportunities exist within their company
What kind of people do they usually look for
What should you highlight in your profile for these positions
What can you add to strengthen your profile for the target roles
2) Create Opportunities by Asking for Referrals
For referrals, most of the opportunity lies with your second-degree contacts. A lot of the online jobs postings are stale (they've been there for over a month and some of them are no longer looking at applications). The best way to find opportunities early is by creating them.
Use the following checklist to ask for a referral:
Find the second degree contact that you want to reach out to
Ask your first degree contact to connnect you to them (on email/Linkedin/text) - with a clear one line pitch showcasing your profile and career interests.
To the second degree contact, send a clear message with your target roles explaining why you are a great fit for those roles (making it easier for them to forward it to the concerned hiring manager)
In case you see existing openings in that organisation, share the job postings links in the message, for them to refer you.
3) Leverage Linkedin
Linkedin, if used well, can be a good source of opportunities. However, only relying on the job feed section of Linkedin, is not enough. Also, based on the subjective experiences of candidates we spoke to, the top applicant feature doesn't help much either. The best way to leverage Linkedin is to keep a strong presence - here are some tips to achieve that:
If you're actively looking for jobs - your Linkedin headline needs to be very strongly aligned to the target role (this is the first things recruiters see when they are searching for candidates and if your headline is vague/generic - it can dilute your candidature)
Ensure profile hygiene - Linkedin itself offers good tools and checklists to help you create a detailed profile. Having a professional headshot on your profile image, a updated professional summary, detailed work experience section, and a skills section.
4) Utilise Job Search Platforms
There are two ways of using job boards that most of the candidates use - 1) Applying to available jobs, and 2) Submitting your resume in their database for recruiters to discover you. For a more targeted search - consider following additional suggestions.
Set Up Custom Email Alerts: Many platforms allow you to set alerts for specific roles or criteria. this will make sure that as soon as new roles are posted in those filters, you'll get to know about them on your email.
Use specialised job boards: Use specialised job boards: Besides popular job boards, there are sites like otta.com and themuse.com that offer a different selection of jobs and a different matching approach.
5) Craft a Targeted CV and Cover Letter
Your CV and cover letter should reflect the roles you're targeting: Here are some questions to think about when targeting your CV and cover letter for a role.
Does this present you as the perfect candidate for the types of roles you're seeking?
Are there any gaps between the desired skills/education/experience on the your resume and the experience required for the job?
If yes, are there ways in which you could address those gaps?
Can you clearly identify what makes you stand out among other similar candidates
Does the first section of your resume serve as a hook to get the recruiter/hiring manager to read more?
Is there anything on your resume that can be removed or reworded?
Spending 20-30 minutes to tailor your CV and cover letter for each application can give you the added advantage of submitting an application that stands out.
6) Keep an Eye on Companies of Interest
Lastly, while there are many tools and platforms to help you in the job search, sometimes the direct approach works best.
Follow Companies on Social Media: Stay updated on openings and company news. There are hiring managers who post about openings in their team/companies on Linkedin/Twitter. Directly messaging them and setting up a call could be a great way to discover new opportunities.
Apply Speculatively: If you're passionate about a particular company, consider a speculative application with a tailored cover letter. You should clearly showcase your knowledge about the company/domain, explain your motivation, and also present why you are a great addition to their team.
To sum up, finding jobs that are relevant to your profile isn't about. hit and trial and settling for the first opportunity that comes your way; it's a deliberate process that requires self-assessment, strategic searching, networking, and perhaps a bit of boldness. Equip yourself with these strategies and match your skillset with the right opportunities. Happy hunting!
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