So you’ve typed up your resume, you’ve reset your forgotten password and updated your LinkedIn profile. You’ve been scanning job boards while sipping on your morning coffee. You’re looking for a new job and a new start. Maybe you’re a new grad, maybe you’ve had a career break, or maybe it’s just been a while since you’ve been a job candidate. Whether you’re new, or just rusty to the adventure of job-hunting – here are some “insider” tips to help you best prepare to not only find A job – but the RIGHT job.
- If you use Indeed, upload your formal resume. A lot of folks are using Indeed.com nowadays, which is a great resource. You can use the Indeed resume formatting – or upload your original (Word or PDF document) resume. I HIGHLY recommend uploading your original, updated version. This ensures that potential employers will see your information and experience highlighted most effectively. For more information on why I recommend this, and other resume tips, take a look here.
- Speaking of your resume – check your formatting. Before you apply for a new role, make sure your current employer is listed. Experience should always be listed in reverse chronological order (most recent first). Generally, your most recent experience is also your most relevant experience – and this is what you want employers to see first.
- Set up/clear out your voicemail inbox! As a recruiter, I can’t tell you how many people I’ve called who either don’t have their voicemail set up, or if they do, it’s full. Fortunately, I can send a text. However, many hiring managers use desk phones and can’t send or receive text messages. So if they can’t leave a voicemail – how else will they reach you? Imagine losing out on the perfect job because your voicemail box was full! It’s also helpful to identify yourself in your voicemail message, so that employers know they’ve contacted the right person.
- Keep an eye on LinkedIn. To help recruiters and hiring managers find you, mark yourself as “open to work.” You can even include details about what kinds of roles you are looking for, and what geographical areas you’re open to working in. Once you put the work in to make these tweaks, it’s easy to forget to login and check your profile! Make sure your account email address is up-to-date and one you regularly check – that way you will get notifications if someone reaches out to you about a job opportunity.
- Set a reminder to check your email spam folder. This goes without saying, but if you’re in an active search – it’s important to make sure you don’t miss anything.
- Set your salary expectations. Be prepared to answer the question “What kind of compensation are you looking for?” If you shoot too high, you risk looking un-informed. If you ask for too little, you may leave money on the table. Carefully and critically evaluate your experience and what unique value you’ll bring to a company. If you’re new to your field, maybe recently certified/licensed/just graduated, etc. – realize that your starting salary may not match that of someone with more tenure. If you’ve had years of progressive responsibility, you may command a higher wage. Check out websites like Glassdoor.com and look up companies you are interested in working for to get an idea of what to expect/ask for. Payscale.com is also a helpful resource to see average pay for different job roles.
- Stay professional on social media. Whether you like to talk politics on Twitter or post daily pictures of your cats on Facebook – remember that recruiters and hiring managers can…and often will…look you up. It’s best to set those accounts to private.
- Call your references. Even if you’re not in an active job search, it’s always a good idea to check in with your job references every 6 months – year. (Admittedly, I could be better about following this advice myself.) If you have an interview and think there’s a chance an employer may call them, be sure to give them a head’s up! This will allow your references to be prepared and also to be on the lookout for your potential employer’s phone call or email.
- Reach out to recruiters. Shameless self-plug here! You can always reach out to someone like myself. At TYGES, we actually encourage candidates to work with multiple recruiters. If you’re fishing, why not spread your net wide? If we don’t have a role for you, maybe another recruiter will, and vice versa. Recruiters speak with candidates like yourself day-in and day-out. Feel free to pick our brains about what we’re seeing in the industry, what employers are looking for, the best way to make your resume stand out, etc.
For more tips, check out our other blog articles. If you’re feeling stuck in your job search, we at TYGES are happy to be a resource for you!
Written by: Karissa Sechrist, Executive Recruiter
Karissa Sechrist never thought she would land in the world of recruiting, but she has absolutely no complaints! She loves that her job consists of talking to other people, hearing their stories, and helping them towards their career goals. When she’s not on the phone or scrolling through LinkedIn, Karissa can be found at home running the vacuum because she has four very furry pets (an adorable husky, a loud collie, and two sweet, but entitled cats). Her favorite person in the world is her husband, Drew, and together they love to spend time outside and try new restaurants. Karissa is a big roller coaster fan – but that is about as adventurous as she gets. Her ideal weekend is spent at home in PJs watching an embarrassing amount of Netflix or reading a murder mystery novel.
Karissa loves making new connections – so feel free to say hi anytime!
“We’re here to make good things happen for other people.“
