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Survive & Thrive: Navigating the 2024 Job Search

Helen Ingram
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Most of us know the discomfort it brings. It usually creeps up on us before we’re ready or willing. Any way you slice it, searching for a job is challenging. Now, throw in a post-pandemic economy, and you’ve more than enough to be overwhelmed. 

Managing an effective job search requires patience, being proactive, and focusing your energy in the right place.

Tips to conduct a successful job search in 2024:

1. Update your online profiles.

In these times, your online presence is more important than ever! Your professional profiles can assist you in connecting with colleagues who can accelerate your job search. Strengthen your LinkedIn profile with recent professional highlights and links to any projects you’ve completed that are featured online. Be sure your profile picture is current, and your attire is relevant to the industry you’re exploring. Update your professional profiles at least three times a year to keep it fresh.

To show that you’re savvy, utilize all the features on LinkedIn like posts, stories, or adding an interesting but applicable background cover photo to maximize your appeal. 

Note, LinkedIn is like any other search engine. Help recruiters find you by including important keywords from job descriptions in the About section. If you don’t know how to write them into a sentence, simply list your specialities.

Don’t forget about your other social media profiles (especially if you have a public profile). In many industries, your Instagram profile is just as important as your LinkedIn (if not more). Creating consistent profiles across various social sites helps build a strong personal and professional brand.

For more on how to make the most of your LinkedIn profile, check out Career Contessa’s Webinar Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile – And Double Your Job Leads.

 

2. Refresh your skills and virtual tools.

Thanks to the internet, you can learn virtually anything right from the comfort of your own home. Combine a list of the top companies and relevant jobs that interest you most. Identify the most requested required skills and find an online course to match. Completing a recent course will strengthen your profile, demonstrate you’re committed to continued learning, and give you more relevant topics to speak to during your interview process.

Don’t know where to start? Udemy has countless quality courses in a variety of industries for any budget. There are also free online courses by EdX featuring courses from MIT and Harvard, as well as free Microsoft tutorials.

Also, try LinkedIn Assessment Tests to earn skill badges to demonstrate to employers you’re proficient in a particular subject.

In these times, you’ll likely have a video interview. Set the stage by investing in quality lighting and a backdrop. Before your interview, be sure to troubleshoot your devices. 

 

3. Create a 60-second job search pitch.

It seems like a no brainer, but often we stumble when asked what we bring to the table. So spend some time to perfect your pitch. Identify your top three to five reasons you’re a good fit for your ideal job and link them in several sentences. This pitch will help clarify where you can value to an organization while networking or closing the interview.

For more on writing your 60-second pitch check out this article by get smarter.com, here. 

 

4. Network Online.

Networking is one of the most effective ways to find a new job, as most positions are filled through personal and professional connections. According to TalentBoard, a non-profit that researches job search experiences, referrals have a 50% chance of getting an interview, whereas others with no connections have only a 3%.

Create a list of people in your network you can ask to assist you in your job search. Consider neighbors, friends, and online connections. Ask for introductions to anyone who works at your target companies.

Check-out Career Contessa’s networking templates for what to say when engaging online.

 

5. Focus on growth industries.

Focusing on growth industries helps ensure there’s ample opportunity to develop your career.  Here are the top 5 growing industries in 2021:

  • Data Analytics

  • Energy

  • Home Healthcare/Telehealth

  • Financial Technology  

  • Cybersecurity

Create Google alerts for your target companies to follow their latest moves. Set up job alerts for your preferred roles. Read your target companies annual report and listen to investor calls. Think of ways you can add value. When you interview, you’ll be able to demonstrate that you understand the challenges the company faces in the pandemic and beyond.

 

6. Prepare and fortify.

If you have a job right now, there’s plenty to be grateful for, but don’t get complacent. Layoffs and furloughs do happen, unfortunately. Even if you do like your current job, keep your eyes open, and your resume up-to-date. Stay in-the-know with remote jobs that are hiring, along with freelance jobs and temporary work to help contribute to your income and security. Insulate yourself from job loss by taking the steps to financial freedom, more here. 

 

7. Stay positive.

In any season or situation, it’s important to focus on what you can control – your attitude and your effort! A pandemic job search will require you to have the stamina, be patient, and understanding.

Feeling down after a job rejection? Struggling to stay positive? To help you stay mentally strong, try job search career mantas like:

  • I will get the right job.

  • I am qualified and deserving of this position.

  • I don’t have to be perfect to get hired.

 

10 Top Job Search Websites:

 

CONCLUSION

Conducting a job search during a pandemic is no easy feat! Nevertheless, with the right attitude and a little effort there’s nothing you can’t do. Keep pushing friends!

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