Searching for a new job is a job in itself. It can take a tremendous amount of time, energy and organization. So how does someone working full-time plus handling other responsibilities and interests make time for an effective search? Add in potentially caring for children or aging parents and it might seem like an impossible feat.
No, you don’t need to be superhuman; you can simply harness the power of automation.
While there is no way to completely eliminate the various tasks involved in a job search, there are many things you can do to streamline and automate the process. This saves you loads of time (and potentially your sanity, too).
Google alerts: Maintain your edge and stay up-to-date on industry news by setting up Google Alerts to pull news to know so you can quickly read it daily. It’s also smart to set up alerts for companies of interest so you know the most current information during your interviews.
Utilize your calendar: Your digital calendar is your job-search BFF. Use it to schedule time for your search and create reminders to follow up when necessary. This is completely customizable and ensures you never miss a beat. Easy-peasy.
Schedule email: Set it and forget it. Use tools like Boomerang for Gmail to schedule emails to go out at certain times. Perhaps a 7 a.m. thank-you email is the perfect morning greeting for that recruiter you just met with. You can also set the system to alert you if you haven’t heard back from a contact, say, after a week.
Schedule social: Social media is becoming a substantial recruiting source. Posting not only demonstrates your expertise but also is perfect for injecting keywords into the copy that will get flagged by applicant tracking systems. Streamline your posts by planning ahead using programs like Hootsuite or Zoho. Create a week’s worth of posts and simply indicate when you want them to go out.
Secret signals: You don’t want your current employer to know you’re seeking new opportunities, but you do want to give a wink to recruiters to send opportunities your way. Slyly tell recruiters you’re looking for a new job by activating the open candidates feature on LinkedIn.
Apply with LinkedIn: Many companies will require you to fill out applications online and there’s no way around it. Some, however, will allow you to automate the process using your LinkedIn profile. For those who make this option available, utilize it! In just a few clicks your resume will be submitted.
LinkUp job alerts: Every day LinkUp indexes employers for real job listings. Just that one step can save you time because you won’t have to deal with spam, fake jobs or duplicate listings. What’s more, automate your search by setting up daily job alerts. You’ll get jobs tailored to your preferences sent to your email each day, no searching or digging on search engines required.
When it comes to saving time on a job search, technology can be your saving grace. What other ways do you automate your job hunt? I’d love to hear about more useful strategies!
