Job Search Strategies and Techniques - How To MASTER Your Job Search

Summary

In this video, Heather Austin from ProfessorAustin.com shares 5 job search strategies to accelerate your career. She advises leveraging LinkedIn to network within your industry, preparing your resume and cover letter, crafting a 30-second elevator pitch, conducting informational interviews, and following up with connections. Heather emphasizes the importance of professional networking, as 80% of jobs are filled through referrals, and offers additional resources like a 6-Second Resume template for viewers to enhance their job search.

Takeaways

• 😀 Building a strong professional network is crucial for a successful job search, with 80% of open positions filled by referrals.
• 🔍 Use LinkedIn to identify positions or companies of interest and leverage your connections to get in touch with hiring managers or HR personnel.
• 📝 Craft a personalized note when connecting with new contacts on LinkedIn to establish a genuine connection and express your interest in their company or position.
• 🗣️ Engage in high-quality conversations within LinkedIn groups to connect with others in your industry and demonstrate your expertise.
• 📚 Ensure your career documents, including your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile, are up-to-date and ready for quick customization and submission.
• 🚀 Develop a 30-second elevator pitch that highlights your accomplishments, qualifications, and problem-solving abilities to confidently present yourself in networking situations.
• 🤝 Conduct informational interviews with professionals in your desired field to gain insights, advice, and build relationships that can lead to job opportunities.
• 🔄 Follow up with connections and job applications regularly to stay on their radar and maintain the momentum of your job search.
• 📅 Keep track of all connections and applications to ensure timely and meaningful follow-ups, turning initial contacts into lasting professional relationships.
• 📈 Utilize the 6-Second Resume as a tool to streamline your resume creation process, making it easier to apply for jobs quickly and effectively.
• 👍 Share the video and subscribe for more career advice, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and improvement in job search strategies.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video presented by Heather Austin?

The main focus of the video is to teach viewers 5 job search strategies that can help them leverage their professional network to accelerate their job search process.

Why is it important to use LinkedIn according to Heather Austin's video?

Using LinkedIn is important because it allows you to network with others in your industry, find connections within companies you are interested in, and join groups for high-quality interactions, which can expedite your job search.

What are some of the strategies Heather suggests for using LinkedIn effectively in a job search?

Heather suggests pinpointing positions or companies of interest, researching connections within those companies, sending customized connection requests, joining and interacting in industry groups, and following company pages on LinkedIn.

What is the significance of having your career documents ready as mentioned in the video?

Having your career documents ready, such as your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile, ensures that you can quickly customize and send them when a job opportunity arises, avoiding last-minute errors.

Can you explain the concept of an 'elevator pitch' as discussed in the video?

An 'elevator pitch' is a short, 30-second summary of your professional accomplishments and qualifications. It is designed to quickly and confidently convey your value to others during networking opportunities.

Why is it beneficial to align your elevator pitch with your resume, LinkedIn profile, and cover letter?

Aligning your elevator pitch with your career documents ensures consistency in your professional narrative, making it easier for others to remember and understand your value proposition.

What is the purpose of conducting informational interviews as suggested in the video?

Conducting informational interviews helps you to develop new relationships, gain insights into desired positions or industries, and find meaningful work by learning from those already in the roles you are interested in.

How does Heather recommend following up with connections and job applications?

Heather recommends following up within one to two weeks of making a connection or applying for a job, and continuing to follow up periodically with meaningful conversations to stay on their radar.

What is the '6-Second Resume' mentioned by Heather, and how can it help in a job search?

The '6-Second Resume' is an easy-to-use, downloadable resume template that viewers can customize for job applications. It is designed to help speed up the resume creation process and ensure a professional presentation of one's qualifications.

What is the importance of customizing your connection request on LinkedIn when reaching out to someone you don't know?

Customizing your connection request on LinkedIn shows respect and personal interest in the individual, increasing the likelihood of a positive response and initiating a meaningful professional relationship.

How does Heather define the key to a successful job search based on the video content?

Heather defines the key to a successful job search as building and leveraging your professional network, as research indicates that 80% of open positions are filled by referrals.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Leveraging Your Professional Network for Job Search

This paragraph introduces five job search strategies focused on utilizing one's professional network to expedite the job search process. Heather Austin, from ProfessorAustin.com, emphasizes the importance of networking, citing that 80% of positions are filled through referrals. The first strategy involves using LinkedIn to identify and connect with individuals within one's desired industry or company. Tips are provided on how to reach out to connections for introductions to hiring managers or HR personnel. Additionally, Heather suggests joining and actively participating in LinkedIn groups to build relationships and stay informed about companies of interest. A step-by-step LinkedIn tutorial and the importance of a customized connection request are also mentioned.

05:00

📚 Preparing Career Documents and Crafting an Elevator Pitch

The second paragraph delves into the importance of having career documents ready for quick customization and submission, including a resume, cover letter, and an up-to-date LinkedIn profile. Heather advises against last-minute updates to avoid errors. She then introduces the concept of a 30-second elevator pitch, which is crucial for quickly communicating one's qualifications and problem-solving abilities during networking opportunities. The pitch should align with one's resume and LinkedIn profile, effectively telling one's career story. A resource for creating the perfect pitch is also provided.

🤝 Conducting Informational Interviews to Build Relationships

In this paragraph, Heather highlights the power of informational interviews as a strategy for developing new relationships and discovering meaningful work opportunities. She suggests targeting individuals in one's desired field and reaching out to them for informational interviews via LinkedIn. The purpose is to gain insights into their experiences and advice. Heather dispels the myth that people are unwilling to talk about themselves, encouraging viewers not to be intimidated by this approach. She also provides guidance on the types of questions to ask during these interviews.

🔄 The Art of Following Up to Keep Your Job Search Momentum

The final paragraph in the script discusses the importance of following up with connections and tracking job applications. Heather stresses that following up within one to two weeks and maintaining contact is key to staying memorable in a sea of emails and messages. She advises making follow-ups meaningful by referencing personal details shared during previous interactions. Heather also introduces the 6-Second Resume as a tool to streamline the job application process and encourages viewers to share the video and subscribe for more career advice.

Keywords

💡job search strategies

Job search strategies refer to various methods and techniques used by individuals to find employment opportunities. In the video, these strategies are highlighted as essential for accelerating one's job search process. The script emphasizes the importance of tapping into one's professional network, which is a common strategy for discovering job openings that may not be publicly advertised.

💡resume

A resume is a document used by job seekers to summarize their skills, accomplishments, and work experiences. In the context of the video, having a well-prepared resume is crucial for quick application when job opportunities arise. The script also mentions the importance of customizing resumes for specific positions and avoiding last-minute updates that could lead to errors.

💡cover letter

A cover letter is a written document that accompanies a resume, explaining why the applicant is a suitable candidate for the job. The video script suggests that, like the resume, a cover letter should be ready for quick customization and submission, emphasizing the need to avoid hasty preparation that could introduce mistakes.

💡LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a professional networking platform used for connecting with others in one's industry. The script outlines two strategies involving LinkedIn: using it to find connections within desired companies and joining industry groups to engage in high-quality conversations. These actions are portrayed as effective ways to expedite the job search process by leveraging one's network.

💡professional network

A professional network consists of contacts and relationships that can provide support and opportunities in one's career. The video emphasizes the importance of this network in job searching, stating that 80% of open positions are filled by referrals. Building and utilizing this network is a central theme of the video's advice.

💡elevator pitch

An elevator pitch is a short, persuasive speech that one can use to spark interest in what they do. In the video, it is described as an essential tool in a job search, allowing individuals to quickly convey their qualifications and the problems they can solve. The script advises that this pitch should align with one's resume and LinkedIn profile.

💡informational interviews

Informational interviews are conversations with professionals in a field of interest, aimed at gathering insights rather than seeking a job. The video script positions informational interviews as a favored strategy for developing new relationships and finding meaningful work, suggesting that they can provide valuable advice and industry insights.

💡follow up

Following up refers to the act of reconnecting with contacts after an initial interaction to maintain a relationship or check on the status of a job application. The video script highlights the importance of following up within a week or two and continuing to do so to stay on the radar of potential employers or contacts.

💡6-Second Resume

The 6-Second Resume is a downloadable template mentioned in the video that is meant to be easy to use and customize for job applications. It represents a tool designed to streamline the resume creation process, allowing job seekers to focus on the essential elements of their professional story.

💡referrals

Referrals in the context of job searching are recommendations from current employees of a company for a job candidate. The script indicates that a significant portion of open positions are filled through referrals, underscoring the value of having a strong professional network.

💡customized note

A customized note is a personalized message sent when connecting with someone on a professional networking site like LinkedIn. The video script provides an example of how to write such a note when initiating a connection, emphasizing the importance of personalization in building new relationships.

Highlights

Learn 5 job search strategies to accelerate your job search by tapping into your professional network.

80% of open positions are filled by referrals, emphasizing the importance of networking.

Use LinkedIn to find connections within companies you're interested in and request introductions to hiring managers.

Customize connection requests on LinkedIn with personalized notes to build new professional relationships.

Join and actively participate in LinkedIn groups related to your industry to expand your network.

Ensure your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile are ready for quick customization and submission.

Develop a 30-second elevator pitch that aligns with your resume and LinkedIn profile to confidently present your qualifications.

Create the perfect pitch with a provided video tutorial for a concise and impactful introduction.

Conduct informational interviews to gain insights into desired positions and industries, building meaningful relationships.

Target 2 to 3 professionals in your desired field and request informational interviews via LinkedIn.

Prepare thoughtful questions for informational interviews to learn about the professionals' career paths and advice.

Follow up with connections and applications to stay memorable and continue building relationships.

Maintain ongoing meaningful conversations during follow-ups to establish and strengthen your network.

Use the 6-Second Resume as a customizable template for your job applications.

Share the video with others who might benefit from these job search strategies.

Subscribe for more career-building and job search tips in future videos.

Transcripts

Are you looking for job search strategies that will accelerate your job search?

Have you submitted your resume and cover letter countless times only to hear nothing back?

If this sound like you, stay tuned, because in this video, you’ll learn 5 job search

strategies that will help you tap into your professional network so that you can accelerate

your job search.

And stay until the end, because I have something special just for you.

If we’ve never met before, I’m Heather Austin from ProfessorAustin.com and The Career

Club on Facebook and on this channel I teach simple solutions to help you build a business

or launch a career you love.

So if you’re new here, consider subscribing.

Also, hit that bell notification down below so you don’t miss a thing.

And real quick, comment down below with what your biggest challenge is when it comes to

your job search.

Before we jump into my top 5 job search strategies, remember that the key to a successful job

search is in your professional network.

If you want to improve the quality of opportunities available to you in your job search, it’s

all about who you know.

In fact, research tell us that 80% of open positions are filled by referrals.

So let’s jump into my top 5 job search strategies.

Tip number 1: Use LinkedIn to network with others in your industry.

Now I have two simple strategies to use LinkedIn to expedite your job search.

First, pinpoint positions you would like to for apply or companies you’d like to work

with.

Then, do some research to find out if you know someone that works for the company or

if you know someone that knows someone that works for the company.

Reach out to your connections letting them know of your interest in the position or the

company that you want to work for, and ask them if they would be okay putting you in

touch with the hiring manager or human resource personnel.

If you’re unsure about how to do a job search using LinkedIn, I created a step-by-step tutorial

just for you.

I go ahead and link that up below.

Now, if you’re initiating a connection request with someone you don’t know and have never

met before, you want to do a customized note when you ask to connect with that person.

Your note could say something like this:

Hi Sally, I recently discovered you are a Senior Account Representative for Corporation

XYZ.

I admire your company’s vision and mission.

I’m currently building my network and would love the opportunity for us to connect here

on LinkedIn.

And then sign with your name.

This is the first step to building a new relationship.

Now, the second part to using LinkedIn to connect with others in your industry and expedite

your job search is to find groups and join those groups and interact with people in the

groups in high-quality conversations.

Sharing your thoughts, your ideas, and your opinions with others inside of private groups

are a great to get to know others.

This is also a really great way to connect with other people naturally.

And to get super involved, make sure you follow the company page on LinkedIn that you would

like to work for.

This only reiterates your interest in the position and is great way to stay informed

when the company makes a new post in their feed.

Tip number 2: Get your career documents ready.

Make sure your resume, your cover letter, and your LinkedIn profile are all ready to

go.

You want to be able to quickly customize each item if needed and send it quickly through

the person when a position comes up.

The last thing you want to be doing is updating your resume and LinkedIn profile at the eleventh

hour.

This leaves room for mistakes such as spelling errors or grammatical errors.

You want to leave yourself enough time to update your career documents and not rush

the process.

Tip number 3: Develop your 30-second elevator pitch.

Your elevator pitch is an essential resource in your job search.

This is the quickest way to let others know of your accomplishments and your qualifications.

This is also a great way to let others know what kind of problems you can solve.

Having a 30-second elevator pitch ready will give you more confidence when networking with

others about job opportunities.

The key to a great elevator pitch is to make sure it aligns perfectly with your resume,

your LinkedIn profile, and your cover letter.

Think of it as your career story.

Now here’s the cool thing: If you don’t have 30-second pitch, I created a video all

about how to create the perfect pitch.

Tip number 4 - Conduct Informational interviews

This is by far my most favorite tips of all the tips I’ve shared with you today because

it’s the one that has worked the best for me.

Informational interviews are one of the fastest ways to develop new relationships and find

meaningful work.

An informational interview is an interview you initiate based on a position you’d like

to have in the future or an industry you’d like to work in.

Target 2 to 3 people that are doing what you want to do.

Reach out to those people using LinkedIn and ask them if they’d be interested in an informational

interview.

Now, believe it or not, most people really enjoy talking about themselves, so don’t

let this step intimidate you.

You can ask them questions like, what do you like most about your position?

How did you get to where you are now?

And what advice do you give me or someone just starting out that wants to move into

that position in the future?

Tip number 5 - Follow up.

You want to keep track of all the connections you’ve made and the positions you’ve applied

for and follow up.

This is one of best ways to fast-track your job search.

We are all inundated with emails, connection requests, and text messages, so it’s really

easy to forget about a conversation we had last week.

To keep yourself at the forefront of someone's mind, follow up within a week or even two

weeks.

And then don’t let that be your last form of contact.

You want to keep following up after that.

And don’t just follow-up to find out how that person can help you; make your follow-up

a meaningful conversation.

Maybe the person mentioned a birthday they had or something they were doing with a family

member.

You can bring those types of things back into the conversation.

Think of this as establishing your network and building those relationships.

Now this does take a little bit of time, so you need to be patient and let it follow a

natural flow.

To really speed up your job search process and to get it right when it comes to your

resume, remember to take a look at the 6-Second Resume.

It’s an easy-to-use, downloadable resume that you can grab today and customize to apply

for your next job.

I’ll go ahead and link it up below.

Now, if you found this video useful, please feel free to share it with someone that it

might help.

Don’t forget to hit the like button below and consider subscribing for more videos just

like this.

And I will see you in the next video.