5 Reasons Why Less is More in Your Job Search - CareerAlley

5 Reasons Why Less is More in Your Job Search - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. For those of you who have followed CareerAlley, you will know that Im a big advocate of getting your resume out there. The premise is that the more people who know you are job hunting, the better the chance that you will learn about opportunities. Like everything else in life, there can be too much of a good thing and having too many recruiters, job search boards and automated job match emails could dilute the value of your search. One obvious exception is your network, where you will want everyone in your network who can help you find a job to know you are on the hunt. Your cover letter should highlight the skills that match the job description and make sure you demonstrate that you know about their company. Tweet This So many Job Search Boards, so little time There is quite a bit of overlap across the major job search sites (especially the job site aggregators), so using more than 3 or 4 job search sites does not add much value. Pick two or three job search boards for your job search. A job search board that is dedicated or focused on your job/career type (such as financial services, retail, etc.). Two resources should be in the top 10 job search boards with at least one a job search aggregator. Leverage LinkedIn as an alternate source Limit the auto email function for jobs that match your profile. While some work reasonably well, others are not even close and are a waste of time, will fill your email inbox and will not add any value. 101 Best Cover Letters Price: $10.98 Buy Now from Amazon We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. Last Updated: March 2, 2020 Older is Not Always Better Older job listings that is (not people). If you are using a job search site, narrow your searches to jobs that were posted within the last 7 days. Jobs posted more than 7 days ago most likely have had tens (or 100s) of responses and will probably be a waste of time. If, however, youve exhausted all of the job opportunities that are 7 days or newer then take a look at some older job postings, but dont get carried away. Long Cover Letters Just Dont Work Your cover letter is meant to be an introduction and should be short (not a bio of your entire career). A few short paragraphs are fine. You should start your cover letter with an explanation as to why you are writing (applying for a job opening, referred by someone in your network, etc.). Next, follow with why you are the perfect candidate. Cover the skills that match the job description and make sure you demonstrate that you know about their company. Close your letter by thanking them for their consideration and indicate that you will follow up with them in a few weeks (and dont forget your contact information). Your cover letter should be longer than a couple of lines but dont waste your time writing a novel either. 70% of hiring managers said the shorter the better. Somewhere between 250 and 400-word count is a good amount. However, you should focus more on the content than how many lines on the page you are taking up. Interviewers Dont Want to Hear About Your Summer Vacation When interviewers say So tell me about yourself, they are really wondering how you will respond to an unstructured question. While the interviewer does want to know what youve done that is relevant to the opportunity, they also want to know what you think is important. This is a perfect example where less is more. Keep it short and focus on what you think will most interest the interviewer about you. This should include relevant accomplishments, but leave personal details for the So what do you do in your spare time? question. Personalized interview coaching Price: At TopInterview, each session is tailored to you and your unique goals. Your choice of comprehensive packages make it easy to get the help you need to nail your interviews. TopInterview offers three plans based on your needs Ace your interview We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. While you can only be so prepared for the unexpected question, the most powerful tool you can have and use in your interviewis your skills and your experience. Prior to the interview, spend time thinking about all of the challenges and successes youve had in your career. Long Resumes Without Examples of Relevant Accomplishments Get Trashed Your resume is your most important career document. While you dont want to leave out important relevant information, you should not include irrelevant noise. Your resume should be concise, include accomplishments with specific examples and should minimize jobs outside of your industry. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to identify and land your dream job. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search