Our Online Job Search: A Few Tips and Tricks
80% of job seekers currently look for their next vacancy online. This means that more and more vacancies get posted online in order to reach the bulk of jobseekers subsequently, the online job market is heating up. Filling out online job applications isn’t often seen as the most fun of tasks, however. Application forms can be long-winded, job descriptions can be vague and deciding what to apply for can be tricky. Luckily, Career Savvy have some tips which just might kick your job search up a notch.
Beware of Dates
When searching on job boards, a lot of results ca be thrown up – especially if you are looking for popular roles. However, it’s important to be aware that several adverts on job boards are out of date, i.e. the deadline to apply has been and gone. Instead of wasting your time looking at things which you inevitably can’t apply for, refine your search by date posted. Some job boards, including CV Library, offer an ‘advanced search’ option that allow you to only look at vacancies that have been posted for a certain amount of time. A good tactic to use is to start looking at job ads most recently posted, and extend your search by a week or so each time.
Who’s Posting the Ad?
Today, online job boards are heavily populated by recruitment agencies, as they find it an effective way of getting candidates. This means that often, the vacancy you read hasn’t been advertised by the employer themselves. This doesn’t necessarily impact your chances of getting the job, but it’s important to attempt to be intuitive when writing applications. If applying through a recruiter, the best way to get your CV picked up by them is to match the requirements set out in the ad as closely as possible. Recruiters usually have a set criteria for the jobs they are sourcing for, meaning that irrelevant applications will fall through the net.
Broadcast Yourself
By all means, apply for as many jobs as you possibly can. However, be aware that sometimes, the jobs can come to you. Most job boards allow you to upload your CV and make it searchable. You’ve got nothing to lose by doing so. Expect some calls regarding jobs you’re not necessarily interested in, but the chance of being offered a job you are interested in makes this worth it – surely? Get your CV out on as many outlets as possible, but before you do, ensure it’s full of key words that will come up when employers are looking to fill a role. If you need more info on these, check out our post on CV buzzwords.
Use Specialist Job Boards
Lots of companies or recruiters feel their time is better spent targeting specific job boards related to that industry when looking for new talent. This means that vacancies may appear on these that you won’t find on mainstream job boards. It also means that there’s a lot less to sift through, as all roles will be semi-relevant to you, and you can refine your search further. It may therefore be wise to begin your search using these to find the most relevant roles, then move onto the general job boards once you’ve seen all the vacancies.
Putting a little extra thought behind your job search means you can use you time more effectively – but most importantly – make your job search a lot less of a brain ache!