5 Things You Should Do Before Job Hunting

This year alone I have met with clients that have both surprised me (in a good way), and have impressed me with their wealth of knowledge on a particular job industry. As impressive as they were professional in our 1 on 1 Candidate Power Hour Sessions, their resumes were not reflecting their work history properly; which of course they hired me to make this happen of course.

It is that time of year when we start to set personal goals for ourselves to be better than we were this past year. We sometimes have to keep in mind that New Year's resolutions only work best when goals are small, achievable, and consistent. With this in mind, for those that are looking for new opportunities in 2022, here are some small achievable items needed before you start hunting for a job.

Review Your Resume

Have you ever seen a job posting that fits your qualifications, but when you go to apply for that role you realized that your resume hasn’t been updated in years? If you still have your college part-time job on your resumè and you have been out of college for more than two years, then it may be time for you to get this updated. Notice, however, I did mention to review your resumè first. It is good to follow up with your resume every few months as you will constantly learn something new at your job. It’s best to be sure to add new skills, job responsibilities, and references to your resume at all possible. So when you see that job posting for that promotion, or for a new role that you’ve been working so hard to get to, at least you will be prepared.

Read the Job Descriptions Carefully

Reading the job duties can help candidates gain somewhat of an idea of what the company is looking for in the person they decide to choose. The job description can also be a helpful tool in understanding where you are in your career, what skills you will need to continue to master or have already mastered, and even be a good guide in what salary you should negotiate to the company.

Research Benefits

A decent salary is very important when considering a new role, however, the benefit is what keeps a person at the job. I personally had to learn this on my own while advancing into my current role in Higher Education. At the end of the day, make sure to weigh both sets of compensation and ask yourself these questions; What are their healthcare benefits? What does their retirement look like? Does this company offer flexible time off schedules, maternity leave, paternity leave, etc.?

Clean Up Your Social Media

Social media is the most used platform to exercise freedom of speech. However, this does not stop recruiters and hiring managers from utilizing social media as a tool for searching candidates for hire. Platforms like LinkedIn are a great way for recruiters and Talent Acquisitions to search for potential candidates, as this platform is used for professional networking. In fact, more than 95% of recruiters use LinkedIn when they’re searching for top-tier talent for their client or the firms they work for according to Empire Resume. So, if you are looking to advance your career soon, I would suggest you look into getting a LinkedIn profile.

Get a Cover Letter

We can all agree that cover letters can be a pain to construct. However, cover letters are actually designed to encourage the hiring managers to review your resume. This essentially sets you apart from the hundreds of applicants that have submitted their applications for the same position. A good tip with cover letters is to always have a template ready and to tailor them based on the position you are applying to.

Job hunting can be stressful, but you don’t have to go through this alone. If you are looking to advance in your career, change the career you are in, or just get into entry-level; send your resume to info@theresumetailorllc.com, and we can help you achieve those career goals.

sources:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/linkedin-statistics-youll-want-your-fingertips-202122-phil-szomszor

https://empireresume.com/how-recruiters-use-linkedin-to-find-and-screen-candidates/#:~:text=More%20than%2095%25%20of%20recruiters,to%20find%20and%20screen%20candidates.