Ploymint

The job searching process elicits groans from most people — but it doesn’t have to be that complicated! More often than not, job seekers aren’t making the most of the search resources at their disposal, or they’re overlooking easy ways to impress potential employers. If you’re in the midst of your own job search, keep these simple job search tips in mind as you dust off your resume:

Expand Your Search:

Online job search websites make finding and applying to potential new jobs a snap. The only problem? The process is so easy that everybody else is doing the same thing. Expand your job search beyond these online job boards to bypass some of the competition. Tap into your college’s alumni network to see what jobs are available within companies that your fellow alums work at; many schools have alumni directories that list “place of work” for each alum, so you can browse the listings and reach out to alums at companies that interest you (just don’t ask for a job right off the bat; treat this as an informational interview instead). Some schools even have their own job search database searchable only by alums.

Other strategies include reaching back out to a former employer or contacting a staffing agency if you wouldn’t mind short-term work (that may eventually lead to a full-time gig if the company you temp for loves you). And don’t forget about your own network! Put out feelers among you friends and family, as well as any close acquaintances you’ve made through professional organizations or conferences.

Make the Search Process Personal:

Yes, sending a “thank you” email after your interview with a potential employer is perfectly acceptable — but it won’t make you stand out. Don’t underestimate the power of a truly personal touch; time to pull out that stationary and roll of stamps and impress your interviewer with a hand-written note (just practice your handwriting first!). You can also try to make the job search process more personal by contacting the hiring decision maker about an open position (normally a manager within a department) instead of going through HR, since so many of those resumes sent to HR never see the light of day. This works especially well if you have something unique in common with the decision maker that you could work into your introduction, like both of you having attended the same small liberal arts school — plus, this will show you’ve done your research on them.

Proofread:

Kind of a “duh” piece of advice — but so many job seekers overlook this crucial step it’s worth mentioning again. And we’re not just talking about running “spell check” on your resume; get out that red pen and read through your resume for grammatical errors that spell check doesn’t catch (better yet, have another pair of eyes edit your resume too). This goes for all correspondence with a potential employer, including your cover letter, thank you notes, and even the emails you send to arrange an interview. Taking a moment to review your writing before you hit send can make the difference between snagging that interview or having your email land in the virtual trash pile.

What other pieces of advice to you think job seekers commonly overlook? Share them with us in the comments below!