How to search and apply for jobs » Science of Working

Get busy so more job opportunities come your way!

Now that you have perfected your resume, cover letter and Linked In profile, you are ready to search and apply to open roles!

Get in the right mindset

This step is the heavy-duty, every-day grind of your job search. Prepare yourself to put in a lot of time and fill out a lot of online applications. In return, you will often hear nothing back from employers and get passed over for jobs that seem like a good fit.

Frustrating? Yes! Important? Yes!

Just when your frustration grows, you’ll get an email from a recruiter to set up a screening call or get invited to an interview. Hang in there – you only need one win to land a job.

Download the free Start My Job Search Checklist to plan every step of your process.

In case you missed it, learn how to use the Start My Job Search Checklist, Prep for your Job Search and Create a Job Strategy.

There is a lot to do, so let’s get started!

Sign up on job boards

Your first task is to sign up on job boards. A job board is simply a website that lists available jobs. The most common are ones like Indeed, Monster, Zip Recruiter and Linked In.

There are also many job boards that cater to specific types of jobs, industries or locations, so do a Google search to find ones that cater to your industry or function.

Some job boards require fees, but start with the free job boards and evaluate if they have the kind of job you’re seeking.

Before you pay for a premium job board, check out online reviews to confirm that it fits your job search strategy.

To sign up on a job board, you will create an account and upload your resume. This allows potential employers to find you directly. However, most of your applications will require you to actively find the job posting and submit your information.

Many job board offer an alert system. Enter criteria for your job search and receive email alerts when new jobs are posted. Automated alerts plus daily searching should help you catch relevant job postings.

Submit applications to all relevant jobs

Once you find a job of interest, apply for it. Don’t overthink it! Don’t spend time or brain power trying to determine if you have every single one of the “required” skills or if you like everything described in the job posting.

Some people agonize about whether or not to apply to a job based on worries about issues such as job fit, company culture or compensation. This is not the stage to worry about details.

If the job posting seems interesting and relevant, submit your application. If you move further in the process, you can evaluate the job more closely during screening calls and interviews.

Don’t rule yourself out of a process in the application stage.

Recommendations:

Apply immediately – sometimes postings get removed after a certain number of people apply.
Apply for jobs that meet most of the criteria you set in your job search strategy.
Apply even if you do not meet 100% of the required skills/ education listed in the job description. Companies will often flex on requirements.

For tips on the process of applying through an online application system, check out this article.

Track your applications as you go

As you start applying to multiple jobs at different companies, they’ll all start blurring together.

Keep good records! Make sure that you save important information, so you’ll be ready if a recruiter calls you about a role. This can also prevent you from applying to the same job twice.

Periodically review your list of submitted applications. Determine if you should follow up with any applications – such as touching base with a recruiter after a screening call.

Your tracking can also include a status for each application. I generally consider an application to be “active” for about a month after submitting through an online portal if there has been no specific communication.

After one month, I change the status to “inactive”. This helps you understand how many viable applications you have.

Tracking tasks include:

Keep a list of the jobs you apply to
Record the date of your application
Write down the user name and password for the site
Download the job description

Network and do informational interviews

Networking is also an important part of this search and apply step. Networking means reaching out to anyone and everyone you know and make sure that they know that you are looking for a job.

You never know where opportunities can come from. Sometimes you talk to one person you know who refers you to several of their contacts. When you talk to those people, maybe you find someone who actually has a job open. Follow the trail of connections!

You can also formally network through LinkedIn. Use that platform to reach out to people that you’re already connected to. Send them a note through the built in messaging system. You can also use LinkedIn to reach out to people you would like to know – maybe someone who works for a company that you’re interested in or someone who’s in the type of job you are seeking.

If you’re looking to switch to a new type of job, learn more about a job, industry or company by setting up an informational interview. An informational interview involves a meeting to talk for 15 or 20 minutes. Ask questions about the job and profession and what they like and don’t like.

Ask for any advice they have to help you break into that area. Focus on general advice about the profession – this should not be a thinly veiled opportunity to ask for a job.

Your university or college alumni network provides a good source for networking and informational interviews – the shared background creates an instant bond.

Contact recruiters

Another group to consider for networking is recruiters. In this case, I mean external recruiters who help find great candidates for open positions.

Recruiters generally work with mid to senior level positions or hard-to-find specialty roles.

Keep in mind that recruiters are not there to find a job for you. Instead, they are paid by the company to find excellent candidates to fill a key role. That is an important distinction.

As a job seeker your approach is to get to know a few recruiters. If they get a contract with a company for a job in your area, they might be able to match you to it. Always remember that external recruiters will serve the company’s needs before your personal job needs.

Before you reach out, do some research and find the right recruiters. Most recruiters have a specialty like placing supply chain professionals or human resources directors or a preferred industry like oil and gas or pharmaceuticals.

Take pre-hire assessments

Many jobs require pre-hire assessments. As part of your application in the online system you might be asked to take an assessment ranging from 15 minutes to 1 hour long.

You should take these assessments seriously. They can improve your chances of getting you a job and can actually knock you out of the process if you don’t fit the profile.

Recommendations for pre-hire assessments:

Don’t try to game the assessment.
Answer the questions honestly and thoughtfully.
Don’t whip through the answers without thinking.
Complete the entire assessment.

Get moving on your search and apply step. This requires action and time. Keep applying – you never know which application will lead to an interview!

Check out the entire Start My Job Search series

For an overview of job searching in 2021, read my article on HBR: 5 Tips to Help You Get Hired Right Now

For tactical tips, read the following articles:

Additional Resources for Searching and Applying

On Zety, Tom Gerencer ranks the 30 Best Job Search Sites & Boards to Find Employment Fast.

Jen Hubley Luckwaldt at The Balance Careers gives advice for networking in 2020 in her article Build Your Professional Network without Attending a Networking Event.

A version of this article was originally published on startmyjobsearch.com which is no longer active.

How to search and apply for jobs