Are You Using Any of These Job Search Hacks?

A modern job search relies on the digital domain to find employers, submit resumes, create a network and revive your personal brand. It starts with finding online job applications and ends with an email of thanks after the interview. In between those two points, you need to make your search for the perfect job as efficient as possible. Try some of these hacks to stand out in a competitive labor market.

Tap into LinkedIn's resources to help build your network, create a resume and write blogs about your professional interests. Businesses can reach out to you on LinkedIn very easily, and they can even offer you a job or an interview on the spot based on your experience and qualifications. Maintaining an active presence on LinkedIn keeps your network fresh and your job search relevant.

Do not forget about social media aside from LinkedIn. Companies post job descriptions on Twitter and Facebook on a daily basis. Compile a list of contacts, such as dedicated hiring handles, aggregate search websites, HR departments and recruiting agencies, that you find on social media. Consider creating a special job search account on various social media to improve your online reputation.

Organize your information so that you know what you have done and when. Compartmentalize files on your home computer by creating folders to store files. Use one template for a generic resume, and rename it every time to create one for a specific job posting. Create a job search log so that you know when you accomplished a certain task. Go over the log once per day to see if you need to reach out to an HR manager, check into your resume submission, submit more job applications or follow up with an email.

Keep track of the business cards you collect as you conduct your job search. When you meet people in person, collect business cards of your contacts. After you get home, take notes on the conversations you had with each person for future reference. This comes in handy when you need to contact someone again and you have a reference point that jogs the other person's memory. Set up reminders so that you know when to call the person in the future.

Perhaps most importantly, develop relationships with everyone you meet during your job search. You never know when an opportunity may arise due to a conversation with someone on your contact list. Go into an HR office, and attend networking events so that recruiters can match a face to your name. Companies hire people, not names.

You can still run an efficient job search while maintaining a high level of quality. Budget your time and your resources, get in a groove, and you could find yourself in job bliss in no time.

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