Whether you're interested in a new career path, have been laid off, or have other reasons to look for new career opportunities, finding a job can be a stressful and daunting task. Considering the time and effort that goes into job hunting, it's frequently said that looking for a job feels like a job itself.
However, some general job search tips can help everyone find a job faster and cruise through the process with less stress.
From organizing your job search to making it more time-efficient and faster with a few handy tools, such as a master resume or communication templates, we'll share eight practical tips for a stress-free, efficient and successful job search.
Read on to learn how you can organize your job search and get hired faster.
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1. CREATE A MASTER RESUME
A resume is a key document for any job seeker.
Regardless of the job searching method, you can expect that employers will ask you for it at least once in the hiring process.
Therefore, it's important to have a high-quality, comprehensive and compelling resume at hand -- or at least a recently updated, draft version of it that can quickly be finalized.
If you wait for the last minute to write a resume, you may find yourself in panic mode and it may be hard to produce a good resume from scratch. What's worse, under such pressure, it could be difficult to recall all the details about relevant experiences and achievements, leading you to downplay your skills and hinder your job application.
To avoid such a situation and make sure your resume captures all the relevant information, create a file called ‘master resume.’
A master resume is a thorough document with all the details about your work experience, education, accomplishments and skills.
A master resume is a thorough document with all the details about your work experience, education, accomplishments and skills.
You can keep this information in any format that works best for you - Word, Google Docs, notes etc.
Once created, make sure to feed it with information regularly.
Use it as a starting point when applying for different job opportunities.
Pull relevant content from it as you craft multiple, tailored resumes.
A great thing about it is that with the master file, you won't have to start fresh every single time you go to write a resume and cover letter. But this tool doesn't only save time, it helps you keep track of all the minor details regarding your experience that could make a difference to a future job opportunity but may otherwise be forgotten if untracked.
Note: This document is only for your reference, don't share it with employers!
2. CREATE A FEW RESUME VERSIONS
Job seekers frequently submit the same resume and cover letter to all jobs they apply for.
But this is one of the most common job search mistakes.
Tailoring a resume to the jobs you're applying for skyrockets your chances of being shortlisted and invited to an interview.
Tailoring a resume to the jobs you're applying for skyrockets your chances of being shortlisted and invited to an interview.
However, if you're a multi-passionate job seeker with a versatile skill-set, customizing your resume to highlight relevant experience every time an exciting opportunity pops up may be time-consuming and overwhelming.
If you're interested in pursuing job opportunities in two completely different fields, streamline the process by creating two 'base' resumes to highlight the relevant skills, education, and work experience you possess for these respective career paths.
These base resumes will simplify the customization of a resume for each position.
Apply the same approach to your cover letter.
Note: If you're looking for jobs only in one field, you don't need to have multiple resumes and cover letters. Go with one base resume and cover letter, then make necessary tweaks to tailor them to the job posting.
