You’d think, once you’ve climbed the career ladder and proven yourself, that finding the next role would be a cinch. That employers would aggressively headhunt you for your skillset and experience.
The reality is regularly quite different — professionals typically spend many time-consuming months searching for the right position to transition into.
The good news is that there are many tools now available to streamline your search. And even if they don’t necessarily make it faster, they will make it easier to find and secure the right role.
Here are seven that we think you should always have in your job-search armoury.
Canva is a powerful graphic design tool that can be used to create (or finesse) a variety of job search materials, including resumes, cover letters, business cards, and social media graphics.
Canva’s resume templates make it easier and faster to create a professional and visually appealing document, and design tools let you add graphics, images, and other design elements to cover letters.
You can also use Canva to make professional-level videos. The drag-and-drop editor offers an array of transitions, animations, designer fonts, audio library, and much more to simplify video creation.
Use a search platform such as LinkedIn and Seek. Create a profile, connect with fellow industry professionals, and set it up to receive job alerts that match your interests.
To maximize your chances of finding a job on LinkedIn, consider joining a LinkedIn group related to your field of interest. This will allow you to receive notifications about new job openings that match your skills and experience. Additionally, ensure your LinkedIn profile is translated into the language of the country where you want to work. This will increase the likelihood that recruiters from that country will see your profile and consider you for job openings.
Once you’ve found a position you’re interested in, it's a good idea to research the company on Glassdoor. This will give you an idea of what it's like to work there, and what other employees (current and former) think about the company culture, management, and pay. Additionally, if you're preparing for an interview, you can use Glassdoor to research the average wage to better understand what to expect in terms of compensation and prepare for salary negotiations.
Mailtrack is a very useful tool that allows you to be selectively proactive. It will let you know when your email has been opened and track its progress through the recruiter's inbox.
An opened email is a good sign that the recruiter is interested in your application. In this case, it's a good idea to follow up with a phone call or email to inquire about the status of your application, showing your interest, and helping you stand out from other applicants.
Trello is incredibly helpful for managing job search. By creating a board and assigning tasks to it, you can track your job applications and maintain a better overall view of your progress. Additionally, Trello allows you to schedule timely follow-up on your applications, ensuring that you don't get lost in the job search process.
Job search is often endless, repetitive typing of very similar things across different job applications. Instead of manually going through this over and over, use Text Blaze. This application lets you set up any number of templates for email responses, cover letters, and more, that you can activate with a simple shortcut.
If you're unable to find the contact information for a company and still want to submit an application, a tool like Contact Out can help you find the necessary email address. These tools can be especially useful if you're struggling to locate the contact information on a company's website or if the information is not readily available.
Poor spelling or improper grammar in a cover letter can kill your chances with a poor impression of your attention to detail (or general written comprehension skills). The good news is that there’s now a host of tools that can help. Run your application through something like Grammarly, Wordtune, or Outwrite, as a final check to make sure you’ve excised mistakes and typos.