5 Job Search Tips

Whether you have just graduated college or you are looking to make a mid-career job switch, searching for a new employment opportunity can be frustrating. There are enough job-search websites to make your head spin and keeping hope can be difficult after weeks of applying without receiving a single call-back.

If you are ready to take your job-hunting to the next level and finally land that interview, try using these five tips.

 

Look online. While it shouldn't be your only resource, the internet is a good place to begin your job search. Websites such as Monster, CareerBuilder, and Indeed have tens of thousands of job openings, with hundreds more added each day. You can also look at niche job search sites tailored to your specific geographic location or industry.

Utilize your network. Besides the internet, your personal network is the best chance you have at finding a job. According to the Wall Street Journal, as much as 50% of all job openings are never actually advertised. Instead, these positions are filled based on the references of a company's current employees. If you are serious about finding a job, ask your friends and family members to inquire about open positions at their companies – you might just get a lead or two.

Perfect your resume and cover letter. When it comes to your job search, your resume and cover letter are your two most valuable tools. Check them for grammatical errors, double check them, then check them again. Tailor your resume and cover letter for the particular job you are applying for, don't just attach the same generic document to every application. For more tips on writing an effective resume, click here.

Clean up your social media profiles. Roughly 91% of all employers admit to checking an applicant's social media profiles during the hiring process. Questionable pictures, suspicious activity, and excessive profanity are all sure-fire ways to remove yourself from their list of qualified candidates.

Go the extra mile. When it comes to setting yourself apart from the rest, the little things make a big difference. Print out your resume on resume paper and use an original header that stands out. Do research to find the hiring manager's name instead of writing “to whom it may concern” on your cover letter. Always follow up an interview with a hand-written “thank you” note. Doing things like this can go a long way towards getting yourself hired.

Want more advice? Check out this series of articles from the Huffington Post if you are serious about landing a job!

The graduate schools at St. John’s University in New York City offer more than 60 graduate degree and professional certificate programs in five acclaimed colleges, a School of Law, and institute dedicated solely to the growing field of biotechnology. Our highly competitive advanced degree programs will challenge you to become the very best you can possibly be!

4 Tips for Writing an Effective Resume

We all know the importance of a good resume. One which is strongly-crafted is sure to land you multiple interviews, but one which is poorly-written will leave you job searching for months. Use these four tips when constructing your resume to give yourself the best possible chance at getting a call-back from an employer.

Tailor your resume to the job you are applying for. One of the biggest mistakes that job applicants make while sending out their resumes is the “one size fits all” approach. Sure, sending out the same resume to every employer may save you some time, but it is less likely to land you an interview. Choose quality over quantity and customize your resume to fit the needs that the employer is seeking in their job description.

Keep it one-page long. The ideal length of a resume is a hotly-debated topic among experts, but one thing is clear: whether it is one or two pages, it should be one or two full pages. Not one and one-half. Not one and three-quarters. If you are just graduating from school and looking to start your career, you should be able to fit your experience on to one page. Even if you have to delete a couple of clubs or awards to make it fit, it will give you extra talking points during your interview.

Use bullet points. Hiring managers do not have the time nor patience to read through several paragraphs. When structuring your resume's main selling points, stick to bullet points and short sentences. Don't worry about the nitty-gritty details, you can get to that stuff during the interview.

Include specific numbers and data when available. Numbers, percentages, and dollar totals all stand out when an employer is scanning your resume, and these can help set you apart from other applicants. Here is an example showing two different ways to write the same job description:

• Bad: Managed client's assets.
• Good: Managed $25M worth of assets for 12 clients, averaging a 9% return-on-investment.

For more resume-writing tips, check out this article from DailyWritingTips.com

The graduate schools at St. John’s University in New York City offer more than 60 graduate degree and professional certificate programs in five acclaimed colleges, a School of Law, and institute dedicated solely to the growing field of biotechnology. Our highly competitive advanced degree programs will challenge you to become the very best you can possibly be!