To Be Hired You First Have to Be Found

In today’s competitive job market, it’s not enough to simply have the right skills and qualifications; you also need to ensure that potential employers can easily find you. The process of making yourself more visible involves strategic planning and an understanding of how recruiters and hiring managers search for candidates. By leveraging the right tools and techniques, you can enhance your online presence, align your skills with market demands, and position yourself effectively within your industry.

I'm going to share with you what I've learned about being someone employers can more easily find. We'll explore how to understand and communicate your unique value, think from a recruiter’s perspective, identify and use the right keywords, and searching in plain sight. Each strategy includes practical advice and insights from experts I've learned from over the years that will help you navigate the job search landscape with confidence and clarity.

First: Get Clear on How You Bring Value

Understanding how you bring value to potential employers is the first and most crucial step in your job search journey. It requires self-reflection, research, and sometimes feedback from others. To effectively communicate your value, consider the following strategies:

1. Identify Your Strengths and Skills: Start by making a list of your skills, experiences, and accomplishments. What are you good at? What do you enjoy doing? Tools like StrengthsFinder or the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator can provide valuable insights into your natural talents and how they can be applied in the workplace. I'd encourage you to check out THIS EPISODE of the Career PROgressions Podcast. Paul Tieger wrote an exceptional book called Do What You Are that can help you identify the kinds of roles that are the best fit for your personality type.
2. Gather Feedback: Seek feedback from colleagues, mentors, or supervisors about your strengths and areas where you add the most value. Sometimes others can see our strengths more clearly than we can. Remember, you can't read the lable from inside the jar! (I stole that phrase from Gary Frey. If you haven't heard of him, you should consider following him.)
3. Align with Job Market Needs: Research the job market to understand what skills and experiences are in demand. Websites like LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor can provide insights into current job trends and employer expectations. In this new world where AI will continue to take over more and more job functions, it's critical to know where your unique skills are still needed.
4. Craft Your Value Proposition: Develop a clear and concise value proposition that highlights your unique strengths and what you bring to a potential employer. This statement should answer the question, "Why should we hire you?"

By understanding your value, you can focus your job search on roles that align with your strengths and passions, increasing your chances of finding a job that is both fulfilling and suited to your skills.

Think Like a Recruiter

To increase your visibility as a job seeker, it's essential to understand how recruiters think and what they look for in candidates. Here are some key insights:

1. Understanding Recruiter Priorities: Recruiters are tasked with finding the best fit for a position based on a set of criteria defined by the hiring manager. This includes hard skills, soft skills, experience, and cultural fit.
2. The Recruiter's Toolbox: Recruiters use various tools to find candidates, including LinkedIn, job boards, and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). They often use Boolean search techniques to narrow down candidates who best match the job description.
3. Keywords and Phrasing: Recruiters look for specific keywords and phrases in resumes and LinkedIn profiles that match the job description. Using the right keywords can significantly increase your chances of being found. (We'll dig deeper into this critical component in the next section.)
4. Networking and Referrals: Many recruiters rely on their professional network and referrals to find candidates. Building a robust professional network can increase your chances of being recommended for positions. Sometimes knowing the person who knows the right person is the key to being found!
5. Presentation and Professionalism: Recruiters pay attention to the presentation of your resume and LinkedIn profile. A well-organized, error-free, and professionally written profile makes a strong first impression.

By understanding the recruiter’s perspective, you can tailor your job search materials to align with what they are looking for, making it easier for them to find and consider you for relevant opportunities.

Get Clear on Your Keywords

Keywords play a crucial role in your job search, especially when it comes to being found online. Here’s how to identify and use the right keywords:

1. Analyze Job Descriptions: Start by collecting job descriptions for positions you’re interested in. Look for common keywords and phrases used across multiple descriptions. This will give you a sense of what employers are looking for.
2. Use a Word Cloud Tool: Input these job descriptions into a word cloud tool (such as Wordclouds) to visualize the most frequently used words. Focus on incorporating these keywords into your resume, LinkedIn profile, and cover letters.
3. Include Industry-Specific Terms: Make sure to include industry-specific terminology that aligns with the roles you’re targeting. This not only helps with ATS but also shows that you’re knowledgeable about your field.
4. Synonyms and Variations: Use different variations and synonyms of keywords. For example, if “project management” is a key term, also include variations like “project manager,” “manage projects,” etc.
5. Natural Integration: While it’s important to use keywords, they should be integrated naturally into your content. Avoid keyword stuffing, which can make your materials hard to read and may be flagged by ATS as spammy.

Using the right keywords can dramatically increase your visibility to recruiters and hiring managers searching for candidates with your skills and experience.

Search in Plain Sight

Effective networking and strategically positioning yourself in the right places are essential for being easily found by potential employers. Here’s how to do it:

1. Join Relevant Groups: Participate in professional associations, LinkedIn groups, and online forums related to your industry. Being active in these groups can help you build connections and increase your visibility.
2. Network Regularly: Attend industry conferences, seminars, and networking events. These provide opportunities to meet potential employers and other professionals in your field. Don’t forget to follow up with new contacts to maintain the relationship.
3. Leverage Social Media: Use platforms like LinkedIn to connect with industry leaders, join discussions, and share relevant content. Regularly updating your profile and engaging with your network can keep you top of mind for opportunities.
4. Volunteer and Freelance: Taking on volunteer or freelance work can provide valuable experience, build your portfolio, and expand your professional network. It also shows employers your initiative and dedication to your field.
5. Be Visible in the Right Places: Identify where potential employers are looking for candidates like you and make sure you’re visible there. This could be niche job boards, industry-specific websites, or even local community boards.

By positioning yourself where employers are looking and actively engaging in your professional community, you increase your chances of being discovered for the right opportunities.

So, how easy are you to find right now? I hope my suggestions will lead you to a higher level of visibility. If you'd like to explore this idea further, check out my conversation with Somer Hackey on THIS EPISODE of the Career PROgressions Podcast. She shares some great insights from her book Search in Plain Sight. Enjoy!