Nine Tips to Find the Best Job

As the Director of Employment at Southwest Airlines, my job was to make sure we hired the very best. Every year, 2500 applicants out of 100,000 became our 'warrior spirited' employees and many of these individuals used the Nine tips below to catch our attention. Use these tips and increase your chances of getting an interview with a company you admire... for the job you desire.

 

1) Know What You Want

Many people looking for work apply for jobs that look interesting without really being qualified. Don’t be that person. Know what you want by understanding your strengths. How do you know what your strengths are?

Added Tip: The Strengthsfinder Assessment is a great tool. Go to http://www.strengthstest.com to find out what your “natural” strengths are. Now that you know, narrow your search to positions that will utilize your strengths making your future job more meaningful, rewarding and fun.

2) Use an online Resume Builder to Create an Updated Resume

If you’re like most, your LinkedIn profile is much more up to date than your actual resume. Don’t spend hours on your computer. Instead, export your LinkedIn profile into a classy looking resume using http://resumebuilderonline.org.

Added Tip: Before submitting it, get a second opinion. Communities have retired executive groups ready, willing and able to help. SCORE is a great example: http://www.score.org.

3) Start by researching best employers

Companies who understand the importance of “Putting People First" will have Happy Employees. Go to https://www.indeed.com. Sign in the name of the company you have an interest in and 'Indeed' will rank them in terms of a “Great Place to Work”, plus give listings of open positions. Fortune and Forbes Magazines also have a list of top companies to work for, but first, look at your local city’s top employers. The Houston Chronicle publishes an annual list of the top 150 companies to work for.    My latest book, “How to Create a Happy Workplace” includes 8 of these top companies. Go to my website, www.lorrainegrubbs.com and check out the first chapter.

4) Online Applications 

Are you like your friends filling out online applications and waiting to be contacted? In today’s job market this single approach is not enough. Online applications need to be part of your strategy, but don’t rely just on them. One helpful piece of advice from Gerry Crispin, Co-Founder of CareerXroads is to use social media to find personal connections with people you have worked or gone to school with. “Then call them and ask to be your employee referral. This will increase your chances of getting your foot in the door by 14 times.”

Added Tip: “Too often we think we have to sell ourselves as this know-it-all hot-shot to get a job, but I have found the best way to build relationships with people whom you'd like to work for is to start by being vulnerable, sharing your admiration for their work, and asking for advice,” says Isa Adney, author of Community College Success.

While LinkedIn, Monster and Career Builders are still relevant, don’t ignore, ZipRecruiter, Simply Hired and Mighty Recruiter.

5) Create a LinkedIn account

This internet tool has gained a reputation for becoming a great place recruiters go to look for applicants. Use it. Create a LinkedIn account so recruiters can find you. If you want to contact someone at your dream company but can’t find the right contact information, check out the person’s public LinkedIn profile and see what groups he or she are part of. Then, join the group where you share a mutual interest. Once you are in the same group, you can send a message through LinkedIn. Just make sure you include something about your common interest in your message. It’ll make you seem like a networker, not a stalker.

6) Create a Twitter Job Search List to Track Job Listings

Every day, recruiters are tweeting jobs they need to interview candidates for, making Twitter a seriously untapped resource for job seekers. Here’s how: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/16/twitter-job-search_n_7571260.html

7) Network socially and in person

Ilana Gershon, author of “Down and Out in the New Economy: How People Find (or Don’t Find) Work Today”, posted an interesting viewpoint. In the blog she states more than 60% of the people she interviewed found a job when someone they had worked with helped find their next job. These weren’t always coworkers. Former bosses and clients helped, too. Read more about her research: https://hbr.org/2017/06/a-friend-of-a-friend-is-no-longer-the-best-way-to-find-a-job

8) Blog about the company you would like to work for

Write a blog about the company you would like to work for and share it with them. Here’s an example of a blog written about General Insulation which ended up on their company website after emailing it to some of their leaders:

http://www.lorrainegrubbs.com/a-culture-of-commitment-by-melissa-smith-and-lorraine-grubbs/

Share articles you think your prospective employer would find interesting or helpful. Also, build relationships with recruiters you found on LinkedIn, or other social media channels, by sharing relevant information they may find interesting. The more you reach out and touch someone, the better chance you have in building a relationship, and building relationships is where the 'rubber meets the road'.

9) Thank You Matters

Always take the opportunity to thank the person who took time out of their day to help you. Whether they spent a few moments on the phone or responded to an email or message, gratitude goes a long way.

 

Use these Nine tips to get your foot in the door with a Top Employer. By concentrating your search and putting in the time and effort... you will get noticed.

 

Happy Job Hunting!

Lorraine Grubbs is an Author and Expert Team Builder.  For more information go to: http://www.lorrainegrubbs.com