This is what I learned about JOB SEARCH, after getting 3 offers for my first job.

Forgive me for being personal in the headline. I hope this article will help all of us in our JOB SEARCH process. If you are a new college graduate or someone with a lot of experience, this article can act as a checklist during your new JOB SEARCH.

Why am I writing this article?

Before I get into talking about JOB SEARCH, I would like to thank all my connections on LinkedIn and LinkedIn itself for helping me get my current job. It is through LinkedIn that I met my current manager and got the job. I feel my experience of JOB SEARCH could help someone out there looking for his first opportunity or to someone who just got laid off. Even though my experience is limited, I hope it can add value and help people who are desperately looking for a new job.

Let's talk about JOB SEARCH now!

Prior Preparation: These are the things we need to prepare even before we start applying for any position.

1. Resume: This is the most important thing and you know why. Few important things to remember while preparing your resume.

2. LinkedIn Profile: This is as important as your resume. Unlike resume, LinkedIn has no restriction on words/pages, so give as many details as possible. Check out my LinkedIn profile for reference, if you are newly updating your LinkedIn account. LinkedIn gives badges for updated profiles, so try to get an "All Star" badge. See the "All Star" badge below:

3. Companies list: Having a list of all the companies in your domain/specialization and regularly updating this list helps to be more focused on companies you want to work for. Make an Excel/Word file with company names and keep track of what companies you applied or need to be applied.

4. Multiple Specializations: You may have taken courses in different specializations during college. Being clear which is your first, second and third priority is very important. So, having different resumes for each specialization will be helpful.

Once all the preparation work is done, it's time for actual JOB SEARCH. There is no one way to apply for jobs, we need to work in all different ways to get an interview call.

1. Company websites: As you already have a focused list of companies, go to the companies official websites and apply there directly. When you are applying in this way, it's important you include all the keywords from the job description on your resume. In this way, there are more chances for your resume to reach the hiring manager.
2. LinkedIn Messages/InMail: Try to connect to people who work in companies from your focused list of companies. Send them personal messages with your resume along with job posting from their company website. Make it easy for them to help you. Here, is an example what you can write:

This is the message that got me my current job. You can make it more crisp and easy. Try reaching out to as many employees as possible in each company. Be thankful if someone replies back to your message.

3. Career Fairs: Career fair is the best place to network, build connections and know about companies. Companies pay a lot of money to attend college career fairs. So, it's the best opportunity one can get. Try to attend as many career fairs as possible. Reach out to the recruiters after the career fair via email and let them know you are interested to be a part of their company.

4. Referrals: Reach out your friends or family members who work in your focused list of companies. Reach out to them as quickly as possible and let them know you're desperately looking for an opportunity. They can help you by sharing your resume directly to the internal hiring manager.

As I said earlier, we need to work on all possible ways in order to get multiple offers and pick the best one that suits your interests. In my case, 3 out of 4 ways listed above worked.

Important note: If you don't have prior job experience, or you didn't do any Internship/ Co-op, IT DOESN'T MATTER. Work on other areas like projects, certifications, publications etc. I haven't done any internship or Co-op, still I was able to make it. Let's be hopeful and give our best.

I hope this article will act as a checklist during your JOB SEARCH and help you to find your dream job. Thank you.