This springtime seems like the perfect season for starting something new. The Canadian economy is heating up as the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic begin to fade. And the national unemployment rate is at its lowest level ever recorded since comparable data began being collected in the mid-1970s.
Whether or not they were happy with their jobs, many people held off making a change in employment over the past few years, preferring to hunker down and wait out the pandemic. The current renewed interest in making a career change has led to the phenomena that economists have dubbed The Great Resignation. People are hungry to take their careers to the next level, and this has resulted in many people leaving their jobs and seeking greener pastures.
So, spring is here, unemployment is low, and companies are hiring. If you want to join the trend, it's a great time to look for a new job. But how do you get started? Whether you've been in one position for a long time or you're just coming out of school, you may not have had to launch a job search campaign in a while.
Here are the essential steps to take to kick off a winning job search.
Plan
Like most projects, it starts with careful planning for a job hunt to be successful. Think about what kind of work you are qualified to do that you also like to do. If you have a dream job in mind that you would love to have, but you don't have the skills or credentials to do it, you need to go back to school for more training or take a lower-level position and work your way up. That is long-term strategic planning towards a career objective.
If you have the skills to do a specific role, but it turns out that you don't enjoy that kind of work, then you should look into other areas where your abilities could be useful. You won't have a successful career if you view every day on the job as a drag. Find the kind of work you like to do that fits your ability to make a meaningful contribution.
The earlier you are in your career, the more important it is to see your jobs as stepping stones. These are positions you can take in order to build your professional network, learn new skills, and work your way towards the role you ultimately want to have.
If you are more established in your role, you might think about the kind of employer you would like to work for. Is there a company whose brand you would want to be associated with, whose products and services you believe in, or whose working environment offers the lifestyle you aspire to?
Targeting an employer rather than a specific opportunity can be an effective job search strategy. Plus, researching employers is an essential step in a successful job search campaign. It will help you tailor your resume to their needs, focus your job interview answers, and allow you to ask smart questions.
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Prepare your resume
While your resume can follow a basic template from job title and contact information to career summary, work history, credentials, and skills, it is important that you tailor this document specifically for each job that you apply for.
When you have found an opportunity for which you would like to submit an application, start customizing. The title of your resume should be the exact job you are applying for. This tells the employer that your resume is a marketing document, selling your skills and fit for that particular position. Anything else across the top of your resume looks like you are applying for the wrong job.
Then, moving down from the customized job title, use your career summary and work history to show how you are a top candidate for that position. You can do so by customizing your work experience with descriptions of your accomplishments, remembering to tailor these details with relevant information that matches the job description. What you have achieved in the past should demonstrate the success you can deliver for future employers.
See: How to write a resume.
Make sure your online profiles match your resume
If your work history or timeline on your resume doesn't match up with your public online profiles, most specifically your LinkedIn account, it can be a red flag for employers. Be sure that your LinkedIn and your resume tell a consistent story. Your job descriptions may not be identical since your LinkedIn account is generic for all employers to see, and your resume is customized for one particular opportunity. Still, the job titles and companies you worked for, and the times you worked there, should all match.
While you are looking into your online history, be sure to double-check your other profiles. Try to see them from an outsider's perspective. Do your posts, updates, and tweets give the impression that you are a smart, friendly professional that a brand would be happy to associate with? If you've gotten into a great deal of conspiracy theory discussions, political arguments, or heated rants online, you will want to clean that up before starting a job search. The same goes for having too many party pics or excessive drinking or drug use. Employers are unlikely to reject your candidacy because they found a picture of you toasting champagne at a wedding or having a beer at a barbecue, but if you seem to have a bong in your hand in every photo, that can be a red flag.
Let your network know that you are looking for opportunities
You may not even know which one of your friends, family members, or professional acquaintances has connections to a company that you would like to work for. It's a good idea to let the people in your network know when you are looking for a new opportunity. Getting the inside scoop on a new opening can give you the strategic advantage of applying early. Plus, companies always value personal referrals from someone they know for potential hires. A friend of a friend could be your career's best friend.
Plan ahead for your professional references
You don't need to send in references with every job application, and you don't even have to say "References Available Upon Request" on your resume. Employers know that already. However, at some point in the job search – usually between the interview and the offer – you will almost certainly be asked for a list of professional references.
Since most of these will be former employers or people you've worked with in the past, it can take some time to track them down to ensure their availability and that you have up-to-date contact information. So, make a list of people you are confident will speak highly of your work ethic, abilities, and accomplishments. Three is the standard amount of references for most applicants, but you should see if you can make a long list of five or six. This gives you back-up in case you can't get in touch with your first choice. Here is how to choose your professional references for a job opportunity.
Then apply for the jobs that will take your career to the next level. With a network of supporters keeping an eye open for opportunities for you, a polished resume customized for the needs of each job and employer, clean, professional online profiles, and solid references, you will have tipped the odds in your favour right from the start.
