Building a job hunt strategy for success

We often discuss the importance of having a job hunt strategy. Some of you may love your strategy and know exactly what you're doing with it. But if you're among those wondering what all the fuss is about or if it’s even worth your time and energy, we're here to tell you everything you need to know.

Let’s start by talking about today’s job market.

Once upon a time, finding a job meant spotting a few job ads, sending over your resume/ CV, and waiting for the interview requests to roll in…

That's an application process many of us would dream of right now!

As you may have discovered, today’s job market is a little more challenging. While we still believe you can find a job that works for you, it does mean you will need to bring your A-game to your search.

Let's get into what you might experience:

? On average, each corporate job offer attracts 250 resumes. Of those candidates, 4 to 6 will get called for an interview, and only one will get the job. (Glassdoor research)

? In a recent survey on our LinkedIn page, 56% of our followers told us they’ve been looking for work for over 6 months.

What this tells us:

? You need to get ahead of the numbers to secure an interview.

? You will want to cut those search timelines.

? You will want to ensure the best opportunities are open to you.

But of course, when there’s a challenge, there’s also opportunity! The widespread lack of knowledge in the hiring process means those who know how to work WITH the system have an advantage.

This is YOUR opportunity to get wise and win.

A strategy might sound like a whole lot of work, but it doesn’t need to be. Creating a strategy can be as simple as taking time out for careful thinking, planning, and working out a way to move forward with the resources you have.

In the long run, having a strategy will save you time, and stress, and increase the likelihood of getting the job you want.

It really is worth it!

Gear up and get going

So – what exactly should a job hunt strategy include?

This is where you get to design a way of working that works for you, the time you have, and the way you work best.

Here are some key areas to consider when you bring together your strategy:

1. Tools (and their quality)

Tools are THE most important aspect of a job search. They have the power to navigate through the 250 applicants to the handful that go to interview.

You can consider:

Resume/CVs

The no. 1 tool of the job seeker, and your ticket into organizations.

Your resume/CV must be up to date with all your job-relevant skills and experience, optimized for ATS (Applicant Tracking System) to ensure it will be seen by the organizations you’re applying to.

You’ll also need to match your resume/ CV to the job using keywords to ensure you’re matched and using bullet points that clearly show the impact you made in each job role

If you want all this work done for you, we can highly recommend our tools Resume Readability and JobMatchAI in The Hub membership that allow you to check your resume against an ATS, you can source job-relevant keywords, get bespoke resume/ CV content, and match your resume against the jobs you want to get feedback that will support your application

This way you know your resume will get through the process AND give you the best possible chance of getting the job.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the no 1 tool for organizations and recruiters searching for candidates. You'll want to make it your friend while you’re job hunting. It's used by those looking for people to hire, but also for screening at the interview stage and it’s also the ideal place to network and find jobs.

You will need to ensure your profile presents a smart, professional image and it contains job-relevant keywords.

If you get it right, LinkedIn can be a job magnet!

If you want the relevant keywords sourced for you, we highly recommend using our tool, LinkedIn Review as part of The Hub membership. It does the hard work for you and gives you complete confidence your LinkedIn profile will attract jobs you want.

Cover letters/ communication

It can be easy to forget about tools such as cover letters and follow-up emails, but when used correctly they help you stand out from the crowd and can amplify your suitability as a candidate.

Once again you'll need to include the relevant keywords in any communication to help support your match to the role.

Following up after an interview is also a great way to improve the possibility of your application success.

To track all your jobs in one place and have all the relevant communication made for you, including bespoke cover letters, interview questions, and follow-up emails, we highly recommend the Job Tracker in The Hub membership, which generates all the job-relevant, bespoke communication for you.

2. Job applications

Consider how and where you intend to apply for jobs.

If you choose to use an automated application system on social media (like easy-apply), you'll probably find yourself on the road to nowhere, fast!

We recommend taking a more direct approach and looking for the roles on job sites, with recruiters, or on the organization's website (not forgetting the relevant cover letter), this way you're more likely to get a response.

Ensure you check job descriptions for the relevant skills and that they match the skills/ experience on your resume or cover letter with keywords.

This is where we can offer something game-changing at The Hub! Our JobMatchAI tool as part of The Hub membership, matches your resume/CV to tools for the jobs you’re interested in BEFORE you apply. So you don’t need to waste time applying for jobs you have no chance of getting, but you have the opportunity with suggested changes to improve your application and therefore increase your potential of success.

3. Networking + outreach

Networking can be a great way of finding opportunities before they become available on the open job market. In addition, it's a useful way of getting recommendations or referrals that enhance your potential for success.

LinkedIn is the perfect place to focus your networking efforts, you can consider growing your existing contacts or leveraging, existing ones, and industry groups are also great places to expand your visibility.

You can use in-person networking if that’s your preference or even contact friends and family to look for opportunities or referrals.

It can be useful to be strategic and actively target organizations and roles you’re interested in by researching and finding ways to connect or seeking out introductions or recommendations within your network.

4. Time schedule

With your weekly schedule in mind, consider the time you have available to dedicate to your search and plan specific times of the day or week for your search activities accordingly.

Consider which of the search activities you need to focus on the most and how much time you need to allocate to each. It can be helpful to identify any specific skills you have that could enhance your search, such as networking, having valuable contacts, or strong writing abilities. Make use of any of these skills or resources and use them to your advantage.

5. Review, reflect & adapt

It can be easy to overlook reflection time, but this can be the most important aspect of your search. We recommend reviewing and reflecting on your tools and approach regularly. If you’re not seeing results, the likelihood is, something’s not working. Go back and consider what or how you can improve or change before continuing.

6. Self-care

Job hunting can be stressful, time-consuming, and tough on your mental well-being. It's important to take time out for yourself, it will support your confidence, energy, and help you to stay well.

When planning your self-care time you could consider:

What gives you joy?

How do you most like to rest?

How do you look after your health?

If you're ready for a head start on your job search, we highly recommend joining The Hub membership . Our job seeker tools ensure your application has the best chance of getting you through to the interview stage, and our virtual coaching will provide the answers and advice you need at any stage of your search. Used together they help reduce search timelines and support you to get the job you want.

We can't wait to hear how you get on with your strategy!