“New year, new me.” Chances are you’ve said this at some point in the month of January, as the start of a new year infuses motivation and energy into all of us after the holidays. As the end of January nears though, it’s important to stay focused and keep the momentum going, especially when it comes to a change that can affect your day-to-day life like finding a new job. Here are a few ways you can land your next job in 2020.
Search, search, search
Starting a job search from scratch sounds daunting but we’ve got your back. There are millions of jobs on LinkedIn, and step one is searching to see what’s out there. Start your job discovery by filtering for standard things like job title and location. When looking for your next opportunity, it’s also a good idea to make a list of non-negotiables and search accordingly. You can actually include specifications in your search, like commute time and work flexibility, enabling you to focus your time on job opportunities that meet your needs.
Be the first to apply
When you search for jobs on LinkedIn, you can set up job alerts to receive notifications within minutes when a job you might be interested in posts. Being one of the first to apply to a job can help you rise to the top of the candidate pool. In fact, applying for a job within the first 10 minutes of seeing a relevant job notification increases your chances of hearing back by up to 4X.
Showcase your skills
Highlighting skills you’ve cultivated in previous positions is important in helping you rise to the top of the candidate pool. In fact, members with five or more skills listed on their LinkedIn profiles are discovered up to 27 times more in searches by recruiters. According to LinkedIn research, 86 percent of hiring managers also want an easy way to verify candidate skills and add that this would help them decide who should move forward in the hiring process. The good news is LinkedIn Skill Assessments allows you to do just that, and when you verify a skill, it’ll show up on your LinkedIn profile. It’s also a good idea to think about any experience outside of your primary job, like previous internships, volunteer work or side projects and list those skills within your summary and experience sections of your profile.
Remember to follow up
There’s no question about it, it’s a competitive world out there for job seekers. Finding a job can be a job within itself, so staying organized and keeping track of your applications is key to success. The new Jobs Tracker on the LinkedIn Jobs homepage does all the work for you, making it easy to keep track of jobs you’ve saved or applied to.
Finding a new job is a big step and venturing into the unknown can seem challenging and a little scary for all of us. But, it doesn’t have to be! The adventures and opportunities that could be on offer to you are extensive, so look at your job search as the start of a very exciting journey.
For more tips on your job seeking journey, read on here.