When you're on the job hunt, it's easy to take an "anything will work" approach to the scope of your search. Everyone remembers the grade-school saying "beggars can't be choosers," but it's not enjoyable to be saddled with a job that's not a good fit.
Here's some good news: There are simple tools that will not only ensure the jobs you're applying to are great fits for your personality but also customize your current job portfolio to give you an edge. There are so many ways to find out whether the job you're applying for suits your skills and work style, and plenty that require no cost to use. When you make your job search work for you, you'll find companies looking for what you do best, not molds you should wedge yourself into.
Here's a roundup of four tools that can give you the edge in finding the perfect job. Some of them are tried-and-true avenues that could use a second look, and others are on the cutting edge of job search.
Have you used these services to get your dream job? Or do you have a foolproof tool for a custom job search experience? Let us know in the comments.
1. Resunate
It's easy to think of a potential employer as the venerable "man behind the curtain." I mean, what do recruiters actually do when they're looking over resumes?
Resunate attempts to get rid of the curtain altogether by showing users just how their resumes look to a recruiter or potential employer. This tool parses your entire uploaded resume and compares it to the description of the job you're after, acting the way an employer's applicant tracking system (ATS) would work. Then, you get a score from 1 to 10 that determines how well your application would stack up in the ATS.
Armed with that feedback, you can tweak your CV to boost your score or allow Resunate to "Auto Focus" your resume for the job, truncating any unnecessary skills and boosting ATS visibility. You can keep as many resumes as you want on the site, letting you can tailor all of your resumes to each position for which you're applying. It isn't totally free, though — Resunate's freemium model means that you'll have to pay up (starting at $14.95 per month) if you want to take advantage of everything the website has to offer.
2. LunchMeet
Oftentimes, securing the job that's perfect for you isn't about what you know, but who you know. LunchMeet is a spanking-new mobile app that gives you the opportunity to put yourself in front of business recruiters, upper-level execs, and others in your industry without pressure. Simply sign up with your LinkedIn account and search to see what professionals are available for networking over lunch or coffee. Meeting with these professionals is also a great way to get an inside look at a company if you're looking to break in or change industries.
The app is still new, so the level of reliable peer networks is difficult to tell. It has serious promise for those who are networkers at heart, and it can help you put a personal face onto your job search.
3. GlassDoor
If you're interested in learning about the HR culture and work environment at a company, GlassDoor is a must-use. With everything from interview recaps to blind salary reports, GlassDoor gives the skinny on all aspects of a company from anonymous voices on the inside.
It's best to use GlassDoor to get the full idea of a company before you fill out the application — you could even see what your offer could look like if you get that far. Another useful feature of the website is the "CEO Approval Rating," letting you know how employees feel about their leader and upper management. GlassDoor is one of the easiest ways to find out whether you're going to be happy at a company and what your future there could look like.
The one downside is, to have a fleshed-out profile a company must have plenty of employees to give the inside scoop. If you're looking at lean and hungry startups, you're not going to find much information — if any at all. But if you're looking at bigger companies with higher profiles, it's worth a peek.
4. Indeed
One of the most difficult things about a job search is, well, searching. Sifting through dozens of job sites, both aggregate and company-specific, can be a total energy and morale drain. It's a necessary evil: If your dream job wasn't posted today, it could be there tomorrow or the day after. There's no magic formula that dictates the perfect time to snag a dream job, so escaping the search is impossible.
However, Indeed's search engine makes the pain of search a little simpler. Thanks to its minimalist and straightforward design, it just takes a couple of seconds to set up a recurring search protocol and a profile that displays your resume to potential recruiters. With no upfront cost and little hassle, it's also easy to set up an alert system that will email you whenever a potentially relevant job — based on strictly specified keywords — comes up.
It's not a full replacement for daily search, but indeed is a good base of operations for the smart job hunter.
Social Media Job Listings
Every week we post a list of social media and web job opportunities. While we publish a huge range of job listings, we've selected some of the top social media job opportunities from the past two weeks to get you started. Happy hunting!
- Social Marketing Executive at Cake in New York City
- Digital Marketing Specialist at Golftec in Englewood, CO
- Account Director at Fanscape in Los Angeles
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, narvikk
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