Optimize your job search with Google Alerts

Hello there! Thanks for reading this newsletter. I share practical career advice about looking for a new job, entering a new industry, or coming back to work after a career pause. Topics include job search tips, personal branding, networking, LinkedIn tips, and building career confidence. Join the party!

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Job seekers are busy. Looking for a job IS a job, and it’s a mental and emotional roller coaster to boot. Plus, today’s job market is WILD and there’s ghosting going on everywhere. What a mess.?

If you’re out there looking for a job, you’ve got my full support. I see you and it sucks. Today I’ve got a powerful tool to help make your job search a little easier.?

GOOGLE ALERTS

I have talked about Google Alerts before and it remains as relevant and impactful as ever. It is one of my favorite tools to optimize your job search and make networking a bit easier too.?

Google Alerts are email notifications on whatever you want to know about. You can use it to track your favorite artist, learn more about your industry, or follow a news story. You can choose how often you want to get email notifications. You are allowed 1,000 alerts, so don’t be shy about using them!?

If you have a Gmail account*, you’ve got access to Google Alerts.

*If you don’t have a Gmail account, now is a good time to make one. PRO TIP: Even if you have a Gmail account, set one up just for your job search - [Your name][Your profession]@gmail.com. For example, [email protected]. Then publish this email address in your LinkedIn profile, on your resume, and in your job applications.?

HOW TO USE GOOGLE ALERTS IN YOUR JOB SEARCH?

? First, if you’re new to Google Alerts, read this article about setting up alerts for your job search. (They make it very easy.)

? Next, read this article about basic Google search rules.

? Then, get advanced Google search tips here to truly harness the power of Google in your job search.?

Now that you know how to set up Google Alerts with proper search terms, let’s dive into the wonderful ways to use Google Alerts to enhance your job search.

1) Set up a Google Alert for your name. Potential employers will search your name online before they call you in for an interview. Set up an alert about your name so you can monitor your reputation when you’re mentioned online. PRO TIP: Put your name in quotes like a regular Google query. For example, “Emily Worden.”

2) If you’re currently employed, set up a Google Alert about your company. Then you can keep an eye on your company’s reputation too.?

3) Keep up with your industry - especially if you’re making a career pivot. Set up Google Alerts about industry news so that you are up-to-date on the latest trends and opportunities. Use keywords related to your industry or big players in the field - such as influential companies and thought leaders. PRO TIP: Write what you’re learning about in posts on your LinkedIn profile.

4) Set up Google Alerts about companies that interest you. Monitor your potential employers and use this information in your job applications and during job interviews. If you’re following the company AND industry news, you’ll have a lot to talk about during interviews.?

5) Strategically network. 75% of jobs are found through networking, so how do you stay in contact with your network regularly while offering something of value? With Google Alerts! Set up an alert on your important contacts - their name, their company, a topic they are interested in - and send them a note when an alert pops up. This way you remind people you exist AND you’re offering something of value to them.?

6) Search for jobs. You’re ideally applying for jobs within 96 hours of their posting. Use Google Alerts to notify you when your dream job is posted. You can use keywords such as job titles, job locations, and companies that interest you. (If you haven’t already, check out the links at the top of this email for Google Search best practices, and I like the “OR” tip in this article too.)?

7) Keep your alerts organized. Finally, when harnessing the power of Google Alerts for personal and professional use, you’ll have a lot of emails coming in. And depending on how frequently you choose to receive the alerts, your inbox can fill up quickly. Set up a separate email folder just for your Google Alerts, and you can even subcategorize the folders from there.?

?? That’s a lot of information to take in. Go ahead and bookmark this newsletter and revisit it a few times. Read through the resources carefully, then make a list of the Google Alerts you will set up to optimize your job search.?

To your success,

- Emily

EMILY WORDEN is a certified professional career coach helping driven job seekers get hired, get paid, and get more confident in their personal and professional lives. She helps mid-career professionals with career transitions, whether they want to move into a new industry or return to work after a career pause. Emily created a proven five-step method to help people find jobs they love for more money than they were expecting - the typical client receives a job offer in three months with a 20% pay increase. Kick your career in gear at www.emilyworden.com.