Four Tips for Job Hunting Tech Grads

We all know that the job market is still having a hard time, and there are so many people looking for those few available positions. It takes every little thing that can be done in order to try to find that edge to win over someone else. Here are a few tips to help tweak your job hunt that may assist you in gaining a little advantage.

Of course, there are tons of tips that most everyone should know and be practicing by now. Things like cleaning up your social media profiles to be more professional or taking advantage of online searching through sites like LinkedIn and Nexxt (of course). Or staying really organized, noting who you have submitted to, dates, contacts, and the like, so as to not duplicate work. But here are a few that maybe have been forgotten.

1. Tailor your resume for each job: Most everyone knows to have a personalized and unique cover letter for each position applied for, but not everyone thinks to tweak their actual resume to be job/company specific. Once you know the position, and the requirements for it, customize your resume and cover letter to focus on the specifics they are seeking. Your highlighted points should be their highlighted desires. Your goal is to catch their eye when they glance at your paperwork, so make sure both the cover letter and resume itself are tailor-fit for their requirements.
    
2. One professional email address: As Jill Duffy from PC Mag said, “It's crucial that you have one professional email address that you use for all your job hunting, networking, and other professional outreach. It should be a professional-sounding address made up of your name or some very simple variation of your name and initials.” Do not use one that contains slang, alias name, your year of birth, or any other information that might actually give out information about you that might be discriminatory.
    
3. Speak industry language: It is important that you engross yourself in forums, social media groups, and other avenues of discussion that are related to your industry. Knowing not only the proper lingo, but the proper delivery of the language culture can be an important aspect. It is a tougher than normal area though, since it can be so different from place to place, but being aware of it can make you more apt to find the words. As Duffy puts it, “It's a tough gray area to negotiate, but the more contacts you make in the industry and the more professional communication you have with them, the better you'll be able to choose your words. The same holds true for dressing appropriately for a job interview. Not all industries want to see a suit and tie anymore. The more contacts you make, the more people you can ask for industry- or company-specific advice.”
    
4. Have a goal sheet: In days of old, when we wrote out goals on physical paper, it made it easy to lose them or toss them. Creating an electronic goal sheet, and setting reminders to view it from time to time, allows you to keep up mental focus, as well as it being easy to edit and alter those goals as needed. Setting goals is important, and mapping out the steps to reach that goal is also needed. Set achievable mini-goals that follow the path to the main goal, and then focus one-by-one on each step. Focusing and reaching each mini-step can make the end goal seem more reachable.

Yes, job hunting can be a challenging time, but making sure you take advantage of the small things along the way can be a big help and possibly greatly assist you in landing that desired new position. When it comes to advice, Nexxt offers a ton of it, so be sure to read more articles for helpful tips and advice that can help you along the way.

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