Traditional job seeking tactics still work in a changing world

Dress to impress, have a firm handshake, make eye contact, write an engaging cover letter, have a one-page resume, ask good questions at interviews — many people can remember the traditional methods they were taught to employ in order to get a job.

Many jobs are currently going unfilled across the U.S., and while the pandemic has digitized some of the job search process, such as increasing the prevalence of video interviews, many of the tried and tested methods of finding a job still hold true.

Make goals before starting the search

In the past, people often sent out resumes and cover letters to many different companies in an effort to get a job.

According to LinkedIn, job seekers should first identify their career goals. This is particularly important for people entering the workforce for the first time or changing careers. Having clear and realistic goals can make the process easier and allow for specific and tailored applications to be made for jobs.

People attach various levels of importance to different aspects of jobs such as salary, benefits, hours and more. A person should identify what’s important to them in their next position before taking steps to try to secure the job.

Set up a schedule and stick to it

People looking for a job often treat the job hunt itself as a full-time job. Job seekers should decide how many hours per day and what days of the week to dedicate to the task.

For those seeking new jobs while they’re currently employed, it’s very important for them to continue to perform their duties well and maintain good workplace relationships with co-workers. This can potentially provide future references or other opportunities and can increase a person’s networking connections.

The importance of networking can also be taken to the digital world. Having an engaging and active LinkedIn profile can help potential employers notice job candidates.

However, job seekers don’t need to restrict their job hunting endeavors to strictly searching online. Those looking for a job can still find connections by contacting a company’s hiring manager, using a career counseling service or attending in-person career fairs.

Cover letters and resumes still important pieces of job hunt

Writing well-researched cover letters is often still encouraged, but some companies use screening software that prevents some cover letters from ever being read.

Numerous templates and samples of cover letters and resumes are available online, and there are professional resume-writing services that help with this process too.

Key sections on a resume such as contact information and education should, of course, stay the same, but other areas can be adapted to fit the job applied for. Skills, achievements and experience that are relevant to the position can be emphasized to illustrate why a person is a good fit for the job.

This involves researching the company before applying, which can provide an applicant with insight into the company’s operations, culture and more. This is an important step because it can potentially give the applicant information that can be referenced in an interview or in their cover letter.

Being specific rather than vague on resumes can often give job seekers an advantage in the hiring process. If possible, achievements should be quantifiable and backed up by numbers or percentages that help emphasize a person’s potential value to an employer.

Using friends or others to help proofread resumes and cover letters can give the job seekers another perspective and help enhance the documents, emphasize certain skills and make sure they are free of errors.

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