How to Find a New Job

Introduction

If you’re like most people, you’ve probably started a job search at some point in your life. Maybe it’s because you need to find a better job or are a recent graduate. Whatever the case may be, the process can be grueling and stressful.

You have to apply for positions, network with your contacts, write cover letters and resumes (even if it’s just updating), and make sure that everything is working together to get you hired. This guide will give you an overview of finding a new job, from figuring out where to look for jobs to how long it will take until you land one.

Check your resume. Is it up to date?

A strong resume is the first step to getting your dream job. Make sure yours is up to snuff by checking off these items:

• Is it current? If you’ve been out of work for a few months, you’ll need to update your resume. Use the time off productively—it’s an excellent opportunity to polish your skills, volunteer at places that interest you, and add new certifications or courses to your list of qualifications.
• Are all jobs listed? Some companies will check references from previous employers before offering a position, so make sure those aren’t missing from your list (and double-check that they’re accurate!).
• Is there any information about companies or roles that aren’t relevant anymore? If so—and if there’s no way around including them—be sure they’re clearly labeled “Old employer” or something similar to avoid confusing potential readers who might think otherwise!

Don’t worry if it takes several drafts before everything looks right; we’re only human!

Update your LinkedIn profile

Make sure you have a professional photo and a clear, concise summary of your skills, experience, and interests.

• Update your LinkedIn profile, ensuring you have a professional photo and a clear, concise summary of your skills, experience, and interests.
• Put yourself out there: Apply for jobs even though you don’t think you’re 100 percent qualified. Companies often will hire someone with the potential to be good at a job before hiring someone who’s excellent at it but lacks the potential to grow into something better.
• Check out our guide to networking—it’s one of the most potent ways to get hired by an employer who isn’t actively hiring (or may not even know that they need someone). There are many other places where we can meet people in our industry: conferences, local meet-ups, or events by trade groups like [insert group here].

Make a list of companies you would like to work for and research what it would take to get there.

Let’s start with the obvious: you need to know what you want. If you have a dream job in mind, it makes sense to start there. If not, ask yourself: What interests me? What do I enjoy doing? Where am I most comfortable working?

To answer these questions, start by making a list of companies and organizations that interest you in some way. Then research them! Look at their website and social media accounts; check out their job postings (and don’t forget industry-specific sites); see how long they have been around (in business or operationally). Study what they value as an organization and what kind of culture they advocate for employees. Do they practice open office layouts or private offices?

Are our team members encouraged to collaborate on projects or stick with their tasks? How is leadership structured within the organization—are there managers accountable only to other managers, or do all leaders report directly up through higher ranks toward executives?

Find three people currently working at your target company who could be good contacts and figure out how you might connect with them.

• Look up the LinkedIn profile of your target company’s CEO. If you can’t find that, look up the LinkedIn page for their website or another relevant page like “Careers.”
• Scan the staff directory and start looking at people who seem to be working in positions similar to yours or in roles where they would have skills you want to learn from them (e.g., someone with a similar job title or area of expertise). If there are no matches there, look at people who work on projects related to what you’re interested in pursuing next and think about how those projects might intersect with yours—for example, if I want to become an analytics professional at a sports data company like Stats LLC (a real-life example) then I might search for someone whose current role involves developing tools for analyzing live sports stats data streams using machine learning methods like classification algorithms (another real-life example), which will help me understand some of the kinds of problems that might be interesting for me when I’m ready for my next big career move!
• Get connected on LinkedIn with him.

Make sure you’re visible to recruiters.

If you’re on the job hunt, you can do a few things to make sure recruiters know who you are. For example, do they need to know that you know Java? Be sure that information is in your profile.

Here’s what I’m talking about:

• Make sure your resume is up to date and easily accessible online — if someone comes across your name in a database, they’ll be able to see exactly what skills and experience you have.
• Update your LinkedIn profile, ensuring you have a professional photo and a clear, concise summary of your skills, experience, and interests (this will also help with networking).
• Make a list of companies that interest you – where would you like to go? What does “guidance” mean when it comes to getting there? How long will it take before someone notices how awesomely perfect this person is for their company right here?

Ask friends and family if they know anyone at the companies you want to work for and ask them to refer you.

One of the best ways to get an interview with a company is through a referral. If you have friends who work at the company, ask them if they would be willing to refer your name for an open position. If not, ask them if they could make an introduction for you with someone who works there and explain why it’s essential that the person knows about your interest in working at their company. Be sure to share information about yourself so that any introductions are meaningful — this includes explaining why this particular job is right for you and what makes you stand out from other candidates.

If your network doesn’t extend beyond friends or family members, consider asking colleagues at other companies (or even previous managers) whom they know personally and whether there are opportunities available where they work now or in the future?

If the company has an alumni network, connect with folks already there who could be helpful.

If the company has an alumni network, connect with folks already there who could be helpful. It’s not uncommon for companies to have alumni networks where former employees can stay in touch and help each other out. If a company you’re interested in has one, find out how you can join it by getting in touch with a recent grad who works there and asking them how to get involved.

If you don’t know anyone who works at the company yet (or if they don’t want to introduce themselves), then reach out directly via LinkedIn or email: “I’m very interested in working at x company! I was wondering if someone could connect me with their hiring manager?” You might also ask if there are any tips they’d be able to give about how best to apply for jobs there or what sort of experience is required for this position—it will show your enthusiasm for their business as well as indicate that you’ve done some research beforehand and are prepared for different scenarios.

Follow exciting companies on social media.

You’ll get updates on their job postings and insights into their culture, which can help you figure out if they’re the right fit for you.

Now that you’ve found some companies that are a good fit for your interests and skills, it’s time to follow them on social media. You’ll get updates on their job postings and insights into their culture, which can help you figure out if they’re the right fit for you. When an opportunity does arise, you’ll already have an idea of whether or not it’s the kind of place where you’d like to work.

In addition to checking out the company’s career page (if they have one), I recommend following them on LinkedIn and Facebook. On LinkedIn, go through their profiles and see who seems like someone whose advice would be helpful in your job search process—then reach out with a connection request! This can be especially useful if someone has experience working with companies similar in size and function to yours. And don’t forget about Twitter: searching for hashtags related to your industry will help connect you with other professionals who share similar interests or experiences as yours.

Watch videos about the company on YouTube and the company’s channel or via influencers or journalists who create content about them.

You’ll get insights into their culture, leadership style, and so forth that can help determine whether it’s a good fit for you. Through videos, you can get a sense of the company’s culture, leadership style, and values.

In addition to YouTube, companies publish their videos about themselves in many other places on the internet. You may find out more about a company by watching these than by reading the job description.

Watch the TV show “Undercover Boss” for real-world examples of corporate culture that might inform your decisions about where to apply or accept a position.

Watching the TV show “Undercover Boss” is a great way to get exposure to real-world examples of the corporate culture. In each episode, CEOs or other high-level employees go undercover in one of their company’s stores or offices and work there for a day.

You’ll get insight into what it’s like to work at that particular company; you will see what kinds of challenges the staff face daily and whether those challenges are things that would make you want to avoid working there. You’ll also see how different team members interact with one another, which can help you determine if your personality would mesh well with theirs.

Conclusion

Whether you’re just out of school or otherwise looking to change your career path, searching for a new job can be a daunting experience. You have to get so many things right before even applying for a job. But if you follow these tips and apply online – even if it is just for practice – you can put yourself in the best possible position for finding a new job that’s a good fit for you.

We hope these tips help you find a new job. Good luck!