{"id":212,"date":"2010-01-26T09:13:00","date_gmt":"2010-01-26T09:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/career-advice\/be-strategic-about-your-job-hunt\/"},"modified":"2019-10-19T06:41:43","modified_gmt":"2019-10-19T13:41:43","slug":"be-strategic-about-your-job-hunt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/be-strategic-about-your-job-hunt\/","title":{"rendered":"Be Strategic About Your Job Hunt"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Be_Strategic_About_Your_Job_Hunt\"Wonder why you didn\u2019t hear back from the hiring manager after submitting your resume? After discussing job search mistakes with some of my Recruitment team, we readily agreed that this is a \u2018must know\u2019 topic and worth reviewing again and again.<\/p>\n

Some tips on how to avoid key mistakes.\u00a0 Hey – it\u2019s in the details.<\/p>\n

Read the job description.<\/strong> Apply for a position that is relevant to your work experience. Don\u2019t apply to jobs that are irrelevant or well beyond your experience level. If this experience has been gained through a co-op placement or academic courses, this should be highlighted in a cover letter<\/a>. Be clear.<\/p>\n

Highlight your experience.<\/strong> In this tight job market, the most clear and relevant resume will get face time. Think about your experience and highlight in a sentence or two where you have made achievements in the area related to the job you are applying for. Make sure that your resume shows no signs of the last job application you made \u2013 check for job objective and statements of your key skills<\/a>. This is your chance to highlight key accomplishments that are measurable and endorsable by a reference.\u00a0 You can translate past experience into relevant work or volunteer highlights by showing examples of skill. For example, \u201cIn my role at ABC Company, I took the initiative to change courier companies. This provided ABC Company with better service level and cost savings!\u201d (Your initiative is what will stand out)<\/p>\n

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The cover letter.<\/strong>\u00a0 And you thought preparing the resume was a drag. The cover letter is a key tool to getting short-listed. Too many people overlook this. It is the \u2018executive summary\u2019 of your resume. This is an opportunity for you to highlight your best points. If you are emailing your resume, you will want to treat the email body of the text as the \u2018official\u2019 cover letter \u2013 don\u2019t add it as an attachment! This is the place where you can paraphrase one of your past employer\u2019s or past professor\u2019s statements about your skill set.<\/p>\n

Keep track of jobs you\u2019ve applied for.\u00a0<\/strong> Nothing is more embarrassing or unprofessional than sending off your resume, or applying for a job online, then getting a phone call<\/a> from a prospective employer and having no idea who they are and what job it was you were applying for. Keep detailed notes of when, where and to whom you have sent your resume. Keep a copy of the cover letter or email text you sent each person. Do your research on the company so that you are informed. The internet is a gift.<\/p>\n

Beware of carelessness when emailing attachments.<\/strong> Safest bet is to name your personalized resume for the specific job you\u2019ve applied to by your first and last name and current year (i.e. Jane Smith 2009).\u00a0 Save your resume as an RTF file – this way the reader cannot see all of your \u2018work in progress\u2019 changes made to the resume.\u00a0 And I know I\u2019ve said it before, but consider the photo you have in your Facebook<\/a> or Linkedin profile \u2013 many companies now have the Outlook plug-in \u2018xobni\u2019 which attaches your profile picture to your email account. Only the xobni user will see this. Keep it professional \u2013 you can now be seen!<\/p>\n

Too public, too hasty.<\/strong> Remember this when sending out your resume by email: if you send your resume to multiple unrelated prospect companies, including agencies, and cc them in the same email, you will most likely be deleted. This action shows a distinct lack of judgement and consideration of privacy, both theirs and yours. And read and re-read not only your resume but also the cover letter that goes in the body of your email. Grammatical errors will move you down the list very quickly. Consider getting one of your professors, past or current, to review it. They can also provide value by acting as one of your references.<\/p>\n

Your job search is your recipe for success.\u00a0 It takes time to get it right. Only you know the secret ingredients. And in this fast moving information age, take the steps to make sure you set up your \u2018job search ingredients\u2019 to get the best outcome!<\/p>\n

Related to Be Strategic About Your Job Hunt:<\/strong><\/p>\n