Job hunting is time consuming at best and mind-numbingly frustrating at worst. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to let your job search drag on and on for months without so much as a phone call from a potential employer. In fact, if this is the case, it’s probably time to re-evaluate exactly how and why you’re looking for a job. Here are some other key signs that your job search needs a makeover:
Your resume is full of buzzwords, but you don’t really know if they illustrate any accomplishments
There are some buzzwords that your resume just needs to have in order to stand out to an employer today. For example, if you’ve mastered SEO techniques, make this clear. If you’re great with Google Analytics, let them know. However, this doesn’t mean that your resume should be littered with buzzwords and lack real “meat.” You want your resume to have just enough buzzwords to catch a potential employer’s attention, but you should also be sure to include cold, hard facts about what you’ve accomplished over the course of your career.
Make your social media literacy known, but don’t forget to list the number of times you’ve met your quota that year. Talk about your passion for video editing, but also discuss the new business you’ve brought in. By mixing must-have buzzwords with real accomplishments, you ensure that your resume will earn you a second look.
You don’t really even know why you’re looking
New jobs typically don’t just fall into your lap. This means that you’ll need to be proactive about looking. However if you’re searching and searching and don’t really know why, your efforts will probably fail to turn up anything exciting. Before beginning a job hunt, think about why you’re ready to leave your current role. Do you want more responsibility? Do you want to make more money? When you know exactly what you’re going after, it’s easy to help power yourself through the not-so-fun parts of a job hunt.
You don’t actually know anyone in your industry
If everyone and their mother is telling you that networking counts, they’re right. While it is possible to get a job by just blindly responding to an ad, you’re much more likely to land that position if you know someone (or know someone who knows someone). For this reason, all job hunters should also be brushing up on their networking skills. Remember: networking isn’t a dirty word. It’s an important and necessary part of furthering your career.
You’re trying all of the same old tactics
If you’ve been searching for months with no luck, it’s probably time to re-evaluate exactly how you’re going about conducting your search. If the job listings on a particular site aren’t bringing you any luck, try e-mailing a few of your contacts and seeing what they’ve heard about. If they aren’t being much help, try discovering a new industry publication that lists job openings. Searching in the same way over and over without success indicates that it’s time to take your job hunt in a different direction.
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