EP35: JOB SEARCHING DURING A PANDEMIC: 5 Tips to Maximize Your Job Search & Get Hired
 
In this episode I am going to share with you tips that will save you time in your job search, ways to help you tailor your resume and cover letter and how to create a network on LinkedIn.
Let’s get started!!
Tip #1: Start Applying
First I want to tell you that we are in a scary times as it relates to all things economy, healthcare, job market and pretty much anything. BUT if you’re unemployed or really wanting to look for a new job you need to get off your ass and start applying!
The reality is that YOU are the only person who is in control of your job search! It’s time to start applying to jobs that are active (less than 30 days old) find the ones that are an ideal fit to you and match your skills and qualifications.
For this episode, make sure you bring a pen and paper to this party! Lots of juice fuego going on!
 
Tip #2: Do Your Homework!
Job searching is daunting and time consuming. I am here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be hard! But you have to read the job descriptions to make sure that you’re applying to jobs that are a match to you.
I do have to tell you that the only way you can get out of this process is hiring a head hunter or going directly to a temp agency that actively recruits in your field/industry.
Now, if you’re truly wanting to invest in yourself and in your career but creating an effective strategy, I am here to show you a tip that can save you tons of time while browsing through the job boards. Now we know the common job search tools are Google, Indeed, and LinkedIn. Hopefully you’re familiar with these and if you aren’t it’s time to dive in.
Before we jump into this search strategy, I want you to have an awareness of two important parts of this search.
What is the industry you’re interested in working in?
What level of your career are you in?
These are critical in pinpointing to be able to maximize your search. These two keywords will make up part of what is called a Boolean Search. A Boolean search is a very specific search strategy that will help you delivery clear results and save you time in the search process. Here’s how you create a Boolean search:
Ex: “entry level” AND “finance” These two words in quotations (“) are the keyword identifiers that will allow the searching gods (google or whatever search engine) to find the specific things you want in the job description. The word AND is the modifier in the search that is going to ask the search engine to show you job descriptions that include the two keywords: entry level and the finance. Go try this NOW! (well after the episode is over or pause and comeback) Some other modifiers you can add are NOT and OR.
This method will maximize our job search and help you save time but also make your search more specific and limited by the words you include. You then want to scroll through the results and be sure to identify the ones that speak to you and your heart (5-10 is a good number) and go through each job and read it in detail.
Next you want to copy and paste the job description into a word/google doc. Be sure to get all of the text from the site. This is where the fun starts. You’re going to tailor yourself to the job!
Each job description you read is different from the next, regardless of the industry because each company has different values and objectives and they expect their employees to have unique skills and requirements. This is what makes each job different and each company culture different too!
Something to bear in mind while reading the job description is to pay attention to the words that start to repeat themselves. Take the highlighter and highlight them. Then start to look for themes of competencies that are in the description and highlight those too!
These keywords and competencies are going to be critical for your resume and cover letter. More on this later!
After you’ve marked up the job description, go through and review the details specific