M A N A G I N G YO U R C A R E E R ACHIEVE+SUCCEED Today’s job-hunting landscape has changed in one signifi cant way. The new trend? More and more employers and recruiters go to LinkedIn as a fi rst step in fi nding potential hires—which means that, as a job seeker, the question of whether you should have an online profi le is, in fact, no question at all. Apart from this major shift in the way recruiters recruit and employers employ, successful job hunting today requires the application of fi ve essential, and enduring, principles: by I.J. Schecter JOB HUNTING NOW What’s Changed (and Mostly, What Hasn’t) Have a traditional resume Even with a strong LinkedIn profi le or online CV, it’s crucial that you still have a classic- format, printable resume showing relevant professional highlights, with titles and dates, job responsibilities, results produced and accolades earned. Try to keep it to two pages. Customize it This standard-style resume, and the cover letters you write to accompany it, should be tailored to the specifi c jobs to which you apply, at least to the extent possible. One approach for keeping things manageable is to create two or three different versions of your resume, targeted to the different types of roles you’re pursuing. Yes, it’s time-consuming. But it’s also more important than you think. Maximize online job sites Whether Indeed, Monster, Eluta, CareerBuilder, or any of the dozens of others, all online job portals are essentially similar, allowing you to search job postings according to categories like region, salary range, role type and, of course, keyword search. Upload your resume to as many of these sites as you can (just Google “Popular Job Search Sites” and go nuts)— and ensure you always have the most current version posted. Network Don’t be shy or embarrassed about letting people know you’re looking. Job changes are part of life, and everyone experiences them. Though an evil word to many, networking remains a highly effective tool for job seekers—perhaps the most effective. Rather than thinking of it as a manipulative exercise to try to get people to help you fi nd work, think of it instead as staying proactively connected to as many people in your circle as possible. Doing so often yields opportunities when you least expect them. Stay on top of the process Using Excel or a similar program, create a document to track each role you apply to, with the following categories: Name of Organization, Position Title, Job Reference #, Date Applied and Application Method. Be diligent about keeping this document up to date so that you know what you’ve applied to, when and how. 26 | Ignitemag.ca | February 2021
