3 Essential Tools for an Effective Job Search
Happy September folks - I am slowly getting back into writing and coaching after having a baby this summer. Emphasis on *slowly* 😅
I know a lot of you are job searching right now so I wanted to share some tools I think are essential for an effective job search.
There are simple systems you can set up to have a more data-driven job search.
Being more systematic usually leads to better outcomes (aka job offers) because you can analyze what is working and what needs improvement in your process.
Let's get into it.
I often ask potential clients how many jobs they've applied for since they started their job search and most people cannot give me an exact number.
That is because most job seekers are not tracking their job applications and other data.
1. Build a simple job search tracking spreadsheet
You can use Notion or Google Sheets to set up a simple tracker where you can see every job you've applied to and your outcomes.
Minimally track these numbers every week:
👉🏾 New companies/roles applied for
👉🏾 Recruiter phone screens completed
👉🏾 Hiring manager screens completed
👉🏾 Virtual on-site interviews completed
👉🏾 Offers received
Think of it as your mini CRM for your job search.
Creating and using one of these in your job search will give you immense insight into where you might be getting stuck and what is working well.
Take time to look at your progress every week and note any trends in your job search.
If you don't know what you are doing wrong you won't be able to improve it. So track as much as you can.
2. Create email templates
Find ways to automate and speed up repetitive tasks. One of the best ways to help yourself is to create email templates ready to fire off pre and post-interviews.
This allows you to only think hard about your emails once and then not think about them again for the rest of your job search.
I suggest creating these email templates:
👉🏾 Post-interview thank you email
👉🏾 Hiring Manager pitch email
👉🏾 Network introduction ask email
Remember the impression you make between interviews matters.
A well-crafted thank you email can be the difference in moving forward in the interview process.
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SIDE NOTE: If you my thank you email templates check out Module 3 of the Be Your Own Recruiter Workbook.
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3. Collect job boards
If you are only looking for jobs on LinkedIn you are missing a lot of the jobs that exist out there.
There are sooo many niche job boards and job postings in online communities.
You must look everywhere on the internet for jobs.
Speed is the name of the game in job searching. Become a research fanatic and use this a simple hack when you find a job board you like:
👉🏾 Create a bookmark folder
👉🏾 Add the job board to the folder
👉🏾 Go through the folder of job boards to find new roles
I have done this and collected 50+ job boards that I would never remember existed if I hadn't saved them.
There are many more ways to optimize your job search and interview outcomes, but these are a few basic tips to get you started.
It is essential to have the right process and tools in place to increase your chances of getting offers sooner rather than later.
That's it for now. If you are interested in coaching sessions, I'm taking on a limited number of clients through the rest of the year - apply here.
