How to succeed in your job search in the modern job market

Want to land the perfect position in this competitive job market? All you have to do is use the right job-searching strategies. The American job landscape is in constant change. What worked for you during a job search five years ago might not work under the current conditions. Which is why you should reevaluate and adjust your job-searching moves as you go.

Clarify your goals

It is better to enter your job search with a clear goal in your mind. Reflect on your interests and passions. Then, find the industries and roles that align with what you want to do for work. Take into consideration your short-term and long-term career goals when making the decision on a target job title.

Optimize your materials

A job search involves a lot of professional writing. From writing resumes to drafting correspondence, you will have a ton to do. It will help for you to optimize all your written material before entering a job search. Here are some documents that you must consider optimizing for your job search:

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Portfolio
• LinkedIn profile
• KSA’s documents
• References list

Use job boards

There are tons of job boards that you can use to find a job without leaving your home. Create profiles on relevant online job boards in your industry. You may have better luck finding a job on a niche site than on mainstream websites. Set up notifications and alerts for your target jobs and employers. Upload your materials to the job board to improve your visibility to employers.

Do some networking

Simply speaking with the members of your professional network can help you find great job opportunities. Not only that, your network will also help you get recommendations and referrals for your job search. If you want to set up an interview with someone from your target company, your professional network can help make a connection with them.

Take interview prep seriously

You need to put in a few hours of preparation before a job interview. Research the employer, practice answering common interview questions, create STAR responses, and focus on your elevator pitch. You should also seriously consider what you will be wearing to the interview and plan out your commute so that you can be on time.

Follow up

One thing many job seekers fail to do is to follow up after job applications. Hundreds of job applications come in for a single position, making it difficult for a hiring manager to remember you specifically. By following up after an interview or an application, you can stay on top of their memory.

Don’t give up

Job searches don’t happen in a short time. Many candidates take months to find the kind of opportunity that they are after. Don’t get discouraged just because your job search is taking longer than what you anticipated. Stay motivated and persistent in your job search to see some results.