An online job search can be a full-time job on its own. Anyone who has had to endure this frustrating and grueling procedure can certainly relate.
If you’re doing it right, an online job search should take place from nine to five, or for however long you last, everyday of the week. But to help you along your journey, here are some tips that I have discovered during my search.
To avoid spinning your wheels, you need to make sure that you are putting a full amount of effort into each job you’re applying for. Otherwise, there is no point of applying because your half-attempted application won’t even be considered if it doesn’t have all the components that is required.
For starters, every resume that you send out needs a cover letter, no matter how short. Even if the description doesn’t say it requires a cover letter, it is best to include one anyone. It is an opportunity to include more information about you, it is an easy way to make yourself stand out from those who did not include a cover letter and, if you’re using job search sites, it only takes a few extra minutes to include one.
It is ok to use the same cover letter for each job, but it only takes a couple extra minutes to personalize it. Insert the hiring manager’s name, if it is available, the company for which you are applying and the location of where you found the listing in your opening paragraph. This way it doesn’t seem like a generic cover letter and it says that you took the time and you are really interested in the position.
It is always good to keep different cover letters that speak directly to several different job descriptions. As you customize your original cover letter, simply save the ones that you like the best and that tell about different kinds of skills you possess that speak to different kinds of jobs.
This will save you a lot of time in the long run. Personally, I have at least ten different cover letters and most of the time I copied and pasted paragraphs from many different versions to create one that spoke to the specifications of a job description.
Yes, it may take some extra time to include a cover letter, but the benefits are invaluable, since employers know that the easier way to do an online job search is to just send out your PDF resume to every company you can find.
They know that those who just send in a generic PDF resume have not taken the time to research their company and apply to the job with their fullest efforts.