As a second-semester senior, I have been going through the job-searching process for quite a few months now. I started in January, just to get the lay of the land and start looking at the market: seeing what opportunities were available, what a competitive pay was, etcetera. I have yet to land a job, so this article is not going to be about how to get a job, but rather, how to search for one.
I had this idea for an article when I was recently helping a friend job-search and she had no idea of where to begin. So, I figured I would make this guide to help you all out and give you some tips that I have learned. I will mainly be focusing on Indeed and LinkedIn for these tips.
First up, Indeed.
Indeed is a great website that has so many incredible job opportunities listed in many different categories. My first tip is to make sure your Indeed profile looks professional and organized. Add your resumé so you can quickly apply to jobs and take the skill assessments. Taking the skill assessments makes applying to jobs so much easier because you can easily see where you might be a good fit. I also would suggest turning your job search to include remote, hybrid, and in-person positions (unless you have a preference, of course).
The first time I used Indeed, I found myself getting discouraged by the jobs listed. They all required Master’s Degrees and did not sound like something I wanted to do. Make sure you are utilizing different keywords to narrow down your search. For example, I want to work with a non-profit, so I have job alerts set for “social services,” “human services,” and even “youth advocate.” Get really specific with your tags so that you know you are seeing everything.
My last tip is to utilize their dashboard that includes all of the jobs you have applied to, as well as the current status of that application. This is incredibly useful if you find yourself confused on which position you actually did apply for, etcetera.
Secondly, LinkedIn.
Make sure your LinkedIn is set up, looks professional, and is recently updated. LinkedIn is similar to Indeed in that you may need to filter your keywords a few times to see what opportunities come up. I would recommend following companies you’re interested in, liking their posts, and frequently checking if they have positions open.
I recently purchased a month of LinkedIn Premium (the first month is free), which unlocked a whole new side of LinkedIn I hadn’t seen before. From what I have experienced, I assume it pushes your profile to more companies and recruiters. Within the first two days of using Premium, I was reached out to by a recruiter. You are also able to see how you compare to other applicants which has been incredibly helpful in deciding what I want to add to my cover letter, as well as seeing how many people have applied.
Good luck and don’t be afraid to gas yourself up, ladies! <3