How to Job Search While Employed or In School

We all want to find a dream job, but job searching is one of those things that can eat up a lot of our time. If you are anything like me, you had to job hunt while still employed or at school.  So, how can you start job searching no matter if you are already working or if you have no experience?

We all want to find a dream job, but job searching is one of those things that can eat up a lot of our time. If you are anything like me, you had to job hunt while still employed or at school. So, how can you start job searching no matter if you are already working or if you have no experience?

Understand your skills and apply for jobs that require them

It’s important to know your strengths when you want to find a job. Be more strategic about job hunting; you don’t want to apply for any job just to get an income. You want to create a career, and that means you need to start searching for a job that’s in line with your requirements and demands. Plus, if you know your skills and use them properly, it’s also easier for you to grow as a professional. So, apply for positions that require your skills and try to improve those skills all the time.

Apply to new positions all the time

It doesn’t matter if you are employed or not, there’s always room for a better job. You never know what can come your way! Keep your eyes open to new possibilities! When browsing new job sites, do note to confirm if they are suitable for your best skills. Remember, if you feel confident with at least half of the job requirements, it is worth applying. You don’t have to satisfy every qualification listed, but so long as the skills are transferable, could get the skills you need on time and are certain that similar candidates are applying.

Be social

Connect with people, start networking, and use sites like LinkedIn, AngelList, and other career Facebook groups to create professional connections. Always be sure your online persona has been cleaned up before proceeding. Remember to stay connected with your social networks (offline or online) and ask your networks if they can offer anything– reviewing your resume, prospecting, recommendations, anything that could help. Just be certain to make the job easy for them and be thankful for any response! Remember this is not limited to friends and family- many online communities help groups with anything from resume reviews, listings, and advice forums. 

Add all relevant information to your resume

If you want your resume to stand out, it has to be up to date and complete. Add all the relevant stuff and ideas to it. Make sure that you showcase any volunteering or any meaningful contribution that you may have. If you think you’re making errors in your resume, check out my blog on how to fix your resume mistakes.

Avoid being too negative

Negativity can be a problem. That’s especially true if you bad-mouth your superiors from your current employer. If you don’t have any experience, the last thing you want is to bring in negative ideas to the interview. Be positive and try to bring in a professional allure with you. The best advice I can give is that job hunting can become a numbers game, so remember that for every few rejection letters you may get, there could be an interview or job offer on the horizon! Keep going! 

Get as many references as possible

It’s important to back up your claims with people that know you and can vouch for your skills. The more professionals that can vouch for your skills, the better the results will be. After all, you want to showcase your power and knowledge adequately, and sharing the right references can help in that regard. Do note of course that you do not have to list them all on a resume or a CV, but rather, becomes a tool depending on the type of role or responsibility. 

Remember: stay active!

Finding the right job is all about working hard, improving your skills, and connecting with others. Browse job search sites, acquire the right references and documentation, but also try to improve your skills all the time. A true professional will always try to boost his references and credibility. Something as simple as creating a LinkedIn account and connecting with meaningful industry leaders or employees can also help you land a job. The idea is to stay active within your field and never stop learning. Once you do that, your results will always be good!

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