7 ways to speed up your job search

A typical job search is stressful enough, and it can seem like there are no shortcuts. But a long job search can affect your mental well-being, and those pesky bills still need to be paid!

So getting back into a job you love as fast as possible is high on most job seeker’s lists. The good news is that there ARE some things you can do to maximize your time and shorten the job search process. It’s all about efficiency and spending time on things that generate results. We also want to avoid activities that don’t have a good rate of return.

The average length of a job search

Did you know that the average job search process lasts nearly 6 months in a “normal” job market? And I know of people who’ve been looking for over a year. But our goal is to get you back to work as quickly as possible, so you’ve come to the right place.

With this guide, you’ll learn how to optimize your resume and tailor it to your desired jobs. You’ll also learn how to use efficiency tools like data science and artificial intelligence to boost your chances of getting hired quickly.

Let’s talk about the 7 ways to speed up your job search!

Optimize your resume

If you’re going to spend the time to apply for a job, you’ll want to make sure your resume is being seen. That’s why a clean resume is critically important.

When you’re ready to submit your resume, make sure it looks good and is easy to read. You want a simple, clean layout that ATS systems will like. More importantly, you want hiring managers and recruiters to find what they are looking for quickly and easily.

Use bullets to highlight your experience and keep it to one or two pages max—you can always send additional pages via email if an employer requests them. Finally, use action verbs in your descriptions and keep the resume easy to read and understand

Stick to a couple of job boards

A common way job seekers waste time is by using too many job boards. I’d suggest sticking to just a couple of job boards that provide the best results. (My personal favorites are Google and LinkedIn)

For example, if you want to work for a major company like Apple or Google, don’t waste your time on job boards that only list small-town IT jobs. Similarly, don’t waste your time on unrelated job boards if you’re seeking a position in a high-paying industry like finance or law and have extensive experience.

If there is any doubt about whether or not you should apply for a position (ie, if the salary requirements don’t seem reasonable), then move on. It’s better to apply to fewer (but more targeted) roles. You’ll spend less time applying for jobs that will likely reject you anyway.

Use efficiency tools

Use efficiency tools to speed up your job search.

These tools make it easier to search for and apply for jobs and manage your job search. One of the most popular is Google’s Job Search, which scours hundreds of job sites for the best industry opportunities. Because it does the heavy lifting, you can focus on more important things. (Like customizing your resume!)

You can also use Calendly to invite hiring managers and recruiters to connect with you at their convenience and automate follow-up emails using automation software such as FollowUpThen or Yesware.

Finally, a spreadsheet is handy for tracking the status of your applications and interviews, so you don’t miss any opportunities!

Don’t waste your time on jobs you don’t qualify for

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is wasting time on jobs you don’t qualify for. If it’s evident that your skills don’t match up with what they’re looking for, then pursuing this opportunity will be futile and a waste of valuable energy. Your time is much better spent finding jobs you DO qualify for.

Think about what employers are looking for. The job description gives you a clear indication of the things the employer will be assessing in your application. Applying for a director level position when you’ve never managed a team before is probably not your best use of time.

You must be realistic about what sets you apart from the competition and how far those other candidates might make it in the interviewing process.

If an employer seems to be making unreasonable demands, chances are good that they won’t hire someone who does not meet their standards.

Use multiple resumes

This is the most important step to speeding up your job search: ensure you have a customized resume for each job you apply for.

You can use different resumes for different industries or even different roles within the same industry (e.g., if you had experience as a developer at one company and wanted to become a manager there, you might want to highlight your managerial skills).

If you are applying within the same company, be sure that your resume highlights how you’ve been able to transfer what you’ve learned in one role or department into another—and don’t forget about transferring responsibilities!

Brush up on your interview skills

The first thing that you should do when you land a job interview is to research the company. If you don’t know much about the company beforehand, how can you expect to perform well in your interview?

It’s also a good idea to practice answering questions related to your resume. Record yourself and listen back for areas where improvements can be made. For example: “I organized a fundraiser at my high school.” Could be improved by adding more detail: “I organized a fundraiser at my high school that raised $5,000 for breast cancer research.”

Be prepared to answer questions about your resume! This might seem obvious: always prepare answers before going into an interview. If you’re the type that “wings it,” it’s probably why you’re reading this article now.

Interviewers have come up with dozens of ways to grill potential employees during their hiring process so make sure you’re ready for anything they throw at you!

Remember, companies assume that if you’re unprepared in an interview, you’ll also be unprepared in front of their customers/clients/etc. If you want to get the job fast, you must have your interview game down tight. If this is challenging for you, get the help you need to impress those hiring managers!

Set up job alerts

Being an early applicant can help get your resume seen. Which means you move into the interview process more quickly. Which means you get hired faster.

You can (and should!) set up email alerts about jobs that interest you on LinkedIn or Indeed. The alerts will ping you when new jobs that match your criteria are posted, so it’s an excellent way to stay in the loop without spending hours browsing job boards daily.

If the company has an automated system for sending job alerts, sign up using it.

For example, suppose you’re looking at a job board aggregator like Google jobs or SimplyHired. In that case, it may have the option to enter your email address and send notifications directly to your inbox (you may have to click through some privacy settings first).

It’s important to know what employers want and how recruiters work

You need to know what employers are looking for and how recruiters work. Know how to write a resume and know what recruiters want. Use job boards effectively by tailoring your resume for each job you apply for or using multiple resumes.

Interviewing well is also essential, so practice as much as possible with friends before an interview. Set up alerts on jobs that match your skills so that you can be notified when they become available!

Conclusion

I hope this blog post has given you some new ideas to help your job search. Remember, it never hurts to be prepared, even if you’re not actively looking for a job. And if you are looking for something new, don’t be afraid to give yourself plenty of time—and keep at it! The best way to find your perfect gig is by putting yourself out there and working until things start falling into place. Good luck!

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