Clean your e-reputation
Let’s move on. Employers today aren’t limited to a CV, handshake or interview as their first impression of you. It’s becoming more common that they go deeper, and it’s never been easier to do so.
It’s in an employer’s best interest to determine if your personality is a cultural fit for the business beyond what’s on paper. Googling yourself is a great first step to see what a recruiter might find and to start cleaning up your online presence.
Improve your social media presence
Privacy
- Be wary of providing too much personal information. If you’d prefer to be more casual on a platform, ensure you’re fully leveraging the privacy settings.
Inappropriate media
- Remove any pictures, posts, comments or anything else that could damage your reputation. On Facebook you can also restrict who’s allowed to tag you in photos so you won’t be surprised.
The company you keep
- Consider your social media connections. Disconnect with anyone you believe will hurt your reputation. This is especially important on Twitter and Instagram.
Unclutter
- Tidy up your profiles by removing page likes or apps on Facebook you haven’t interacted with in a long time, or no longer care to. If it’s not relevant to who you are today or if you can't speak to it, remove it.
Google check
- Scroll through a few pages of your Google search to ensure you’ve adjusted any profiles you have access to.
Your LinkedIn profile is so much more than just a glorified CV. Or, at least, it should be. You can really bring your career to life using LinkedIn. For example: Include MOOCs to make the difference etc. Download the bonus to get more tips
Be your own job search boss
If you’ve ever embarked on a job search, you know things can get really chaotic, really quickly. To remain focused and achieve a favorable outcome, you’ll need to learn how to manage your job search. Follow these basic steps to help you get started.
- Manage your time wisely.
Time is of the essence, and you definitely don’t want to drag your feet and risk losing out on a great opportunity. Work on the job search during your most productive hours. Block off three hours every day to peruse job boards, bookmark job postings that interest you, and respond to emails from potential employers. Actively searching for a job is basically a full-time job in and of itself, so it’s important that you establish a routine and stick to it.
- Track your applications on a spreadsheet.
You’d be surprised how often candidates accidentally apply to the same job twice. If you lose track of your submitted applications and accidentally apply to the same job twice, you might be perceived as disorganized by whoever screens the applications. Use a spreadsheet to keep track of all your job applications and avoid embarrassing blunders like this. Include title, company name, location, link to posting, date applied, follow-up dates, interview dates and application status.
- Set daily goals for yourself.
In order to improve any aspect of your life, you need to set goals. Whether you’re working, in school or unemployed, the goals you set for your job search will vary.
Turn the job fair into a job
Most people are relaxed at a job fair, seeing it as an opportunity to weigh their options. While there is nothing wrong with that, serious job seekers have the opportunity to edge out the competition. You will find some tips for your job hunt in the bonus.