Anna’s Top Secret 6-Step Online Job Search Strategy
Once you have nailed down your career targets, you are ready to start targeting your online job search. Although the best way to find a job is always through networking, you should also devote 25% of your job search time to applying to jobs online.
Here are the proven online job search strategy I recommend to start getting job interviews and job offers ASAP:
1) Self-Awareness
Networking and informational interviews will help you determine what your desired career path is. You will be relieved once you figure this figure this out because then you have a direction to head in. This part takes the most time.
2) Keywords
Start with your dream job, you might be surprised at what you find! From what you narrowed down by networking, make a list of 5-10 keywords that match your dream job. If you wanted to be in the career development field, here are some keywords you could use:
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Career manager
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Career Advisor
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Corporate Trainer
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Adjunct Faculty
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Professor
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Career Coach
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Trainer
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Faculty
3) Search
Go to your preferred job search site. I recommend Jobtonic, since it compiles job openings from many different job search sites so you only need to look at one. I have found it very easy to use and it remembers your previous searches so you don’t need to type in the keyword each time. You can also target jobs in urban locations.
I also recommend searching on Linkedin because it allows you to see who is already in your network that works at the company you find jobs that you like.
4) Email Yourself Opportunities – Be Efficient
Search each keyword and when you find a job description you like, DON’T read every word and apply right then and there. This needs to be an efficient job search. If you think it might be a good fit, just email it to yourself, that way you can review it later. Try to find 20-30 jobs that are potential fits like this before applying to any of them.
Once you start applying is when you really start spending time answering questions that take forever. Many people find one job and spend an hour applying and then they are done. They miss out on so many potential opportunities! So skip that part, and focus on gathering as many potential opportunities as you can, emailing yourself, and applying later all at once in the next step.
Now take a little break. You have done a lot of hard work already!
5) Create Resumes and Cover Letters
Now that you are rested and ready to job hunt again, create a resume and cover letter for each of the keywords. You can use the same resume for each keyword but you will have to change your cover letter in a few areas for the job name and name of company.
So, if you are searching for the career field, you could start with Career Manager and create one awesome resume for all Career Manager job openings. Then create an awesome cover letter that would fit all openings with this keyword. Focus only on all Career Manager job openings at one time and apply, apply and apply.
Remember to always re-save and change the name of the company and the job title on each cover letter before hitting submit. And then the next day, go to your next keyword, Adjunct Professor and change your resume and cover letter to match that opportunity by using keywords that you found in the job descriptions for these opportunities. And then hit submit, submit, submit!
6) Be Patient
This is when many of my clients get frustrated with the job search. Because of the large number of opportunities you can apply to using this method, you may get a lot of automatic rejections right away. I honestly doubt they even looked at my resume. Maybe they had the position already filled. Who knows.
But it is frustrating. Don’t get frustrated because the good opportunities that actually still have openings are reviewing your resume now and waiting for when they can close the opening and start interviewing all the applicants. That is when you get a callback.
You may not get calls back until two to four weeks after you submit your resume. Ideally, the timing works out great because you will start interviewing for similar jobs (same interview questions may even be used!) and you will be in the interview mindset as well. Another plus is that this way all the offers will hopefully come at the same time so you will be able to pick with all your options on the table.
I really hope these tips help you organize your job search better and give you the efficiency that you need to find and apply to the perfect job for you. There really is no perfect way to conduct a job search but the key is that the more jobs you apply to, the better your chances!
So take the time to use this online job search strategy, and you might be surprised where you end up!
