How to finetune your job search strategy

To be as effective as possible in your job search, you need to "treat job hunting like it's your business," says career management expert and award-winning CV writer +Sandra Ingemansen. Here are her seven top tips...

1) Make sure your CV is ready at a moment's notice
You should always be prepared for a career opportunity. You don’t want to make hiring decision makers wait for you. Or hire someone to write your CV for you. It may be too late by the time you’re done. 

2) Define your target jobs and industries
Otherwise, you’re wasting precious time. Employers see that as unfocused, which is the kiss of death. Why? Because unfocused CV and job search = unfocused at work.

3) Incorporate social media, especially LinkedIn
If you Google yourself (88% of employers do), the chances are that your LinkedIn profile comes up within the first 10 listings under your name. That’s where recruiters and employers are going to go first. If you’re not social media savvy, your job search fire will soon fizzle out because you can bet that it’s definitely part of a competitor’s suite of career marketing tactics. 

4) Network to discover hidden job opportunities
If you want quick results, don’t post your CV on job boards. It has a 5% effectiveness rate, whereas networking has more than a 50% effectiveness rating. In today's market, jobs are being filled before the general public even knows there are openings. This is where doing your company research and contacting decision makers within those companies comes in. Read company/employee blogs, press releases, tweets, Facebook pages, LinkedIn updates etc.

5) Familiarise yourself with hiring trends
If you haven’t adapted your current job search to the constantly evolving shifts in recruiting, hiring and employment, it’s a sure-fire way to position yourself as an out-of-touch job seeker who doesn’t know what it takes to be competitive. Big red flags for hiring decision makers.

6) Treat job hunting like it's your your business
That means working 40 hours — it’s your full-time job — so stay vigilant until you land that next opportunity.

7) Continue training and learning new skills
Professional development means added marketability during your job search.

Do you have an ATS friendly CV?

You can find out more about Sandra a www.resume-strategies.com or follow her on Twitter @Resume911.