Need for Speed: Accelerate Your Job Search with These 6 Tips

When you are unemployed and in the market for a job, the whole process can seem overwhelming.  It’s possible you are going through periods where you apply and apply, but get no responses.  You may feel like there is no end in sight, and that it could take years to find a decent job.  While job search efforts do take time, you may be able to speed things along and your end goal could be a lot closer than you think.  With companies where there is the competition for jobs is high, you will definitely need to be quick on your feet if you expect to get anywhere.  Below are some strategies to accelerate your job search:

1)  Save Resume and Cover Letter Templates

While it’s best to tailor your resume and cover letter to each specific position, there are parts that will always remain the same.  These include your education info, contact details and the most important parts of your experience and skillset that you tend to never leave out.  To accelerate your job search, keep general templates of your resume and cover letter handy so you can easily edit the parts you need to and make them specific to the job you are applying to.

2)  Apply to lots of jobs, but not just any job

With online applications so user friendly these days, you can easily apply to 15 jobs in a day if you wanted to.  But don’t apply to jobs blindly.  If you want to have any luck accelerating your job search, make sure you are applying only to jobs you are truly interested in.  Read all the details of job descriptions, since many times job titles don’t tell the entire story.  Otherwise, you will waste time not only optimizing your cover letter and resume for that job, but also going on interviews only to find out the position is not for you.

3)  Take Advantage of What Job Boards Offer

On sites like EmploymentAlert.com and Jobdiagnosis.com, you can sign up to have e-mail alerts for specific types of jobs in your area emailed to you.  This will help you accelerate your job search by having jobs you are interested in simply show up in your inbox.  These sites are also mobile friendly, so pay close attention to the e-mails you get and apply immediately so you have the best chance of getting an interview (and you aren’t applying to jobs that have already been filled).

4)  Don’t Network Selfishly

According to a recent survey from performance-based hiring organization The Adler Group, 85% of all jobs are filled via networking.  So it makes sense that in order to accelerate your job search, you should put more effort into professional networking.  Attend networking events, join LinkedIn groups, chat up anyone you can at social gatherings.  But you will be wasting your time if all you are doing is asking for something.  Start building relationships slowly, first telling them about yourself and starting conversations about their jobs and other interests.  Give the relationship time to build before you ask about any professional opportunities they can introduce you to.

5)  Have References Ready and Notified

You don’t necessarily need to include them in your resume, but to accelerate your job search you should have a list of references already prepared so you can immediately hand them over when hiring managers ask for them.  Also, get in touch with your references and make sure they are aware that they will be contacted soon. You don’t want to risk falling through the cracks and losing a job opportunity because it was too much of a hassle for potential employers to track down your references.

6)  Snazz up your cover letter

To immediately captivate potential employers, create an attention-grabbing cover letter that oozes with your passion about the job opportunity.  It should be concise and clearly state what you will bring to the position.  This will set you apart from your competition and get employers interested to read your resume.