A construction crew would never start repairing a building with an insufficient set of tools. Well, when you lose your job and have to search for another one, you are in fact in career repair mode. So before you begin, you should take a step back to ensure that you have the right tools and equipment to get the job done. Below are 8 key tooling strategies to help in the efforts to repair your career track and speed up your job search.
Keep Your Resume Available In Every Format
When you are in the middle of a job search, opportunities tend to come and go quickly. You don’t want to miss out simply because of a technical issue with your resume. You should have your resume available in Microsoft Word, PDF, and ASCII-text formats. There will be situations where you will be happy you were able to accommodate the preferred options.
Use Web-Based Job Search Organization Sites
The great thing about information in the cloud is that you never have to worry about accidentally leaving it home. Cloud-based job search organizational websites are a must to track your activities and status when it comes to applications. Websites such as Startwire, JibberJobber, CleverCareerist and Worksolver do a great job of tracking job applications and contacts. Some of them even allow you to schedule interviews and follow-ups.
Well-Organized Smartphone
You would be surprised at how many people do not realize the power that lives in their hands when they are playing candy crush. Today’s smartphones are some of the most powerful organizational tools available. Take some time to properly organize your phone. Be sure all of your resume files are available and easy to locate. Set up all of your apps with proper alerts so that you find out about opportunities in real time. While it is hard to believe in 2016, some of you out there still do not have your email being pushed to your phone. It is time to take care of that. And this brings us to our next recommendation.
Get A Job Search Email Address
The last thing that you want to do is miss out on a job offer or interview request because the email from the hiring manager got lost in a deluge of advertising emails from Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, Amazon and Walter Drake. You should always have a standing email address that you only use for the job search. This email address should be simple and easy for people to remember. Another benefit of this is that if using job boards, once your job search is over, your regular email address will not be spammed by unwanted job alerts or offers to work commission only jobs.
A disorganized job search can result in missing out on opportunities. Some you may see, others you may never find out about. Don’t be the victim of this circumstance. Optimize your job search toolbox and ensure yourself of the best chance for getting back on the right career path.
