Hunting for your first job can be exhausting. You’ll likely have to spend hours scrolling job boards and preparing and sending applications…for days on end.
Fortunately, that isn’t the only way.
With the right digital strategies, you can get found by recruiters and employers without sending applications. Recruiters are always looking for the right candidates for job openings.
Grabbing the attention of the right recruiters in your field will make the job search significantly easier for you. Recruiters will contact you and invite you to apply for positions that you’re qualified for.
But how do you grab a recruiter’s attention? Well, there are many digital strategies that can help you market yourself online. Let’s explore the top most effective digital strategies to get noticed by recruiters in your field:
Start by Optimizing your LinkedIn Profile
Is your LinkedIn profile a ghost town?
Make the time and effort to make your LinkedIn profile shine. LinkedIn is the most powerful professional networking tool. It’s usually a recruiter’s first stop when looking online for talent to fill open positions. Make sure you’re easy to find.
Start viewing your LinkedIn profile as a resume that never sleeps. It’s a resume that’s easily accessible to recruiters and potential employers.
Your LinkedIn profile should reflect your experience, skills, and aspirations. That means it should be fully fleshed out—not just filled out with the bare minimum information. Start by adding a professional profile photo, a well-written summary, a comprehensive skill list, and a detailed experience section.
Finally, don’t forget to indicate that you’re “Open to new opportunities.” Select your desired job titles, the locations you would like to work in, and the type of employment. For privacy, you can make this section visible to “Recruiters Only.”
Create a Personal Website
To further promote yourself professionally, create a personal website. A personal website goes a long way in creating a personal brand, allowing you to customize everything from colors to fonts and background images.
Use your site to tell potential employers about your skills, experience, and to showcase your previous work. The more detailed your personal website is, the better. Don’t forget to include an email address and phone number where potential employers and recruiters can reach you.
Don’t know where to start? Check out Wix, Portfoliobox, and Squarespace. They’re personal website services that are easy to use—no coding knowledge required.
Publish Industry-Specific Articles
Now that you have a personal website, take it to the next level: publish some industry-specific articles. This is one of the top digital strategies to demonstrate your industry knowledge and skills to recruiters and potential employers. It gives you an edge over other candidates.
Publishing industry-specific articles also provides another avenue for recruiters and employers to find you. Make sure to include the right keywords so that you can be found with a quick Google search.
What if you don’t have a personal website yet? No problem. Start publishing directly on LinkedIn or using platforms such as Medium.
Make Your Twitter Account Professional
Do you have a Twitter account? If so, does it present a professional image?
Often overlooked, Twitter is a powerful professional networking tool. Optimizing it can help recruiters and potential employers find you more easily.
You can either set up a new professional Twitter account or clean up your existing one. Make sure that the account contains your legal name, a professional headshot, and a bio detailing who you are and what you do.
Follow other accounts in your industry and make an effort to connect. It’s also a good idea to follow the companies you’d like to work for.
Use your Twitter account to stay updated about your industry. Post relevant status updates and engage in important industry discussions. Doing so will increase your visibility to employers and recruiters in your field.
Set Up Profiles on Relevant Job Boards
Even when you’re not actively job hunting, it’s prudent to always have profiles set up on relevant job boards. Unfortunately, many job seekers don’t take full advantage of these resources.
To be found by recruiters, have fully-optimized profiles on sites such as Indeed and Reed. You can opt to turn on the CV visibility option. Selecting this option makes your resume visible to recruiters and hiring managers registered with the platform.
Interested recruiters will reach out to you via email for potential vacancies.
Join Industry-Specific Organizations
Do you know who is who in your Industry? Joining industry-specific organizations is a great place to start. Research the main industry organizations. How can you join?
Most professional organizations have websites, where members can set up profiles. Such profiles can easily be found by recruiters looking for candidates in your area of expertise. Make sure to promote yourself by creating a detailed profile. If possible, include links to your LinkedIn profile, personal website, and published articles.
How can you get started? Look up relevant organizations in your field. On their websites, look for membership options. If the website doesn’t contain the information you need, email a request for information.
Should I Contact Recruiters?
In spite of employing the strategies above, you might still have a difficult time finding the right job. You might be wondering “Is it OK for me to reach out to recruiters in my industry?”
There’s no harm done by reaching out to recruiters in your industry—as long as you do it correctly. The best ways to contact recruiters are through LinkedIn or email.
On LinkedIn, send the recruiter a connection request and a short message. In the message, quickly introduce yourself, what you do, and a request to speak further.
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