Is Your Job Search Routine Effective?

How to stay organized and find a job faster?

When you’re unemployed, it’s easy to lose a sense of time. With no daily job and little time-pressing commitments, you might find yourself lagging behind your schedule and procrastinating on your plan. Unfortunately, this reflects negatively on your most important commitment for now – finding a new job. And you might be surprised to see that the job-hunting takes more time and brings fewer results than you expected.

As they say, you should treat the job search as a full-time job. This means planning your efforts in advance, putting in many hours, and having a steady routine. The latter is probably the most important, since it allows you to stay on track and helps overcome resistance and procrastination on tasks you dread of. Whether you experience a midlife career crisis or simply lost the job due to company restructuring, using the right routine brings amazing results. Use the below hints from executive resume services to create or make updates into your existing routine of job-hunting.

The quality of your resume matters

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Why have a job search routine at all?

If you’ve never had a routine for job search, you might see it as another mundane obligation rather than something helpful. Yet, the majority of job-seekers agree that having a routine pays off, and here’s why:

• It gives a rigid structure to your day. Lack of structure makes you relaxed, laid-back and reactive. On the other hand, having a daily routine and plan keeps you busy and organized. You’ll get more things done and keep more active when you have a clear step-by-step plan at hand.
• It keeps you on track with all commitments. Have you ever forgotten to send a follow-up after the interview, get back to a recruiter or to apply for an opening before it was removed? When you have a plan, these situations have little chance of happening.
• It helps you find a job faster. When you have a job search routine and follow it day by day, you don’t procrastinate on important steps of job search and do everything it takes for a successful job search. As a result, you’re most likely to land a new job much faster than without a routine.

7 elements of a successful job search routine

The ideal routine is customized for the needs of your job search. That being said, if most of the jobs in your field are found through networking, you’ll need to allocate more time to it in your schedule and spend less time on other activities accordingly. Make sure to plan each point in your routine. Create a to-do list or enter all activities into a smartphone organizer. Here are the essential steps you’ll need to do in your job search:

1. Look for jobs online

Browsing job postings online is where your job search actually starts. Visit the most popular job boards such as Indeed.com, Glassdoor.com or other job boards specifically for your industry. Subscribe to emails to get notified about the new jobs. Visit the Careers sections of your target companies in case they’ve posted a relevant opening. Browse new opportunities on social media including LinkedIn. New jobs are posted daily, and you want to stay updated about them early, since the early applicants have more chances to be considered for a position. Choose the results that match your career interests most for further application. Depending on your industry and goals, you might want to choose between 5 and 15 jobs.

2. Tailor your documents and apply for jobs

One of the most time-consuming parts of the process is sending targeted applications to the companies you’ve chosen in the previous step. Sending the same version of a resume and cover letter is a faulty tactic – hiring managers don’t pay much attention to them or they got tossed by ATS. Modify your resume to better address the needs of a particular employer and add keywords. As for the cover letter, add at least a couple of sentences that explain your fit for the role, in terms of skills and culturally. If that sounds like a lot of work, choose resumes writing experts to update these documents for you.

3. Network in-person and on LinkedIn

Networking will significantly broaden the number of opportunities available to you. Old and new connections can put in a word for you, tell about an upcoming opportunity or refer to a company hiring at the moment. Schedule in-person meetings with someone who you believe could help with your career at the moment. Connect with everyone you’ve ever worked or studied with on LinkedIn. Make connections with recruiters working in your dream companies. Let people in your network know you’re job searching so that they could refer you to the relevant opportunities.
To maximize your use of LinkedIn as a networking and job search tool, make sure to fill out the profile professionally. Here’s how to do it: http://resumeperk.com/blog/tips--tricks-for-professional-linkedin-profile-writing.

4. Reach out to recruiters

If you’re an experienced professional, consider working with in-house recruiters or recruitment agencies. These professionals are interested in picking the best talent for the employer. And if you have the needed skills and experience under your belt, they can recommend you for the position, help you prepare for an interview and consult along the way. Look for the most popular recruitment agencies in your city or connect with them on social media. Note that if you’re an entry-level professional or changing careers, a recruitment agency might not be as helpful, since their primary goal is to fill the position with a qualified candidate quickly.

5. Follow up

Filling out an online application, attending an interview and waiting for a response passively isn’t the best tactic. Keep a track of all your applications and follow up on them. Follow up on the resume after two weeks to find out the status. Hiring managers are very busy, so there’s always a chance they’ve overlooked your resume. Your follow-up will serve as a subtle reminder. Don’t neglect to send thank-you notes after interviews as well. 37% of recruiters would reject a candidate who didn’t follow up. In this case, follow up no later than 24 hours after the interview.
Is getting out of bed in the morning a real challenge for you? Check out the tips to make your mornings productive: http://resumeperk.com/blog/7-morning-routines-for-better-productivity.

6. Keep your skills current

During the unemployment, it’s important not only to schedule as many interviews as you can, but also to keep up your professional level. This will help you in climbing the work ladder once you’re hired. Analyze the job postings to figure out what the employers expect from a professional in your target role. Mark the skills which you believe could use some work and sign up for online seminars, webinars or workshops to grow your competencies. Not only learning new things will keep your mind sharp, but also you’ll have something to discuss during your next interview. Another good idea of keeping your skills fresh is to volunteer at least a few hours a week.

7. Socialize professionally

When you don’t have to work every day, you’ve got plenty of time to meet old friends, go out and spend quality time with your family. Yet, also be sure to allocate time for face-to-face communications which could help in your job search. Meet with the old colleagues, recruiters you’ve met on LinkedIn, or a connection working in your dream company. Ask for advice or assistance with your job search and be willing to help in return. Attend conferences, meetups or other events in your field. Socializing with other professionals in your sphere will keep you informed about the most important trends and open more professional opportunities.

Set time for each of these activities depending on your schedule and career needs. However, be sure to spend no less than 3 days a week on each activity. This will make a dramatic difference in your job search.

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