As the job market becomes more competitive, you need to think outside the cubicle, be proactive and think of creative ways to job search and secure a job interview. Here are five different ways to get your resume noticed.
Sending out unsolicited resumes
Sending out resumes to companies of your choice is a good way to secure an interview. Companies will often have a page on their website where you send your resume to their HR department and larger corporations will have websites dedicated purely to job searching.
You can upload your resume and sign up to get job alerts sent to your email account and be advised when a job that suits your skills and experience is available.
When sending your resume to smaller companies, find out the person who is in charge of the hiring or the head of the department you are targeting so you can personalise your application. Always follow up on the unsolicited resumes that you send with a quick telephone call to make your resume more memorable in the mind of the employer.
Volunteer work
Volunteer work is a great way to break into a new industry, learn additional skills and make new contacts. Employers look very favourably upon potential employees who volunteer and you can ask the organisation to provide a reference for you.
If you’re seeking a position in a highly sort after industry like publishing, fashion or photography, you may have to do volunteer work to secure an entry level job or if you’re finding it hard to get a job, offer to work for free for two weeks to prove your worth to the company and show your dedication and passion.
Networking
Networking is a great way to meet contacts in your industry that could potentially help you find a new opportunity, change careers or move up to management level. Ways in which to do this are attend industry events, conferences, trade shows or hold information interviews.
You can even follow companies through social media networks such as Twitter or Facebook or business networks like LinkedIn and tell your friends, family and contacts that you are looking for a new job. Read our article Network your way to a new job for more information on how networking can help you find a new job.
Blogging
Blogging on the internet is a great way to showcase your writing, fashion expertise, graphic design skills or let the world know that you’re looking for a new opportunity.
There are easy to use platforms like WordPress, Blogger and Typepad that allow you to easily customise a blog template or take it one step further and buy a web hosting package and your own personalised URL and host the blog on your own website.
Door knocking
Write out a list of organisations you want to target. Your local library should have business directories you can access or look for websites which have directory listings of business in your industry. Print out copies of your resume and go from business to business and ask for the HR manager so you can give them your resume.
This works well in creative industries like advertising or sales or industries like trades, retail and hospitality where they have a shop front so you can speak to the manager.
Take note, not all methods will work for all industries. Conservative companies or government organisations may only stick to traditional methods of hiring staff whereas industries like publishing, fashion and retail are more open to unsolicited applications. The first point of call is to find out the culture of the company you are targeting and work out what methods would work best for them.