You Could Apply For The Job Right Away, But First

You Could Apply For The Job Right Away, But First… You Could Apply For The Job Right Away, But First… I want to talk to you about not rushing. Stop rushing. Every time a job ad pops up online, candidates rush to apply. That can mean upwards of 1,000 applications coming in for that 1 job every.single.day. You can join that crowd if you want to. I don’t think you’ll get an interview that way, though. Did you know there are several clear benefits to not applying for a job right away? Let’s go over those: You Say You Want To Stand Out, So…Stand Out! The way you do that is by doing your research. I know you hate the concept of research. The word itself automatically sounds like it’s going to be hard. That’s why, far too often, your research translates into hopping on over to the “about us” or “company history” pages and lifting a few facts from the company’s own web site to say back to the company. Stop doing that. That’s not research. Find out what the company is doing today. {“Company history” is the opposite of “today.”} Especially if the company is local, the good-old fashioned newspaper that, yes, is still printed in 2018, is your best bet. Make sure you read the business section or your city’s business journal. All you’re looking for is some indication of what the company is working on, what they have under development, what award they’ve just won, or what division, plant, or location they’re about to open. Fold what you learn into your cover letter so you meet your original goal of standing out. Brand Yourself As The Company’s Most Loyal Fan! Creative people do this all the time, with wild success. Those people who you hear about landing jobs at Google, Dropbox, Squarespace, and Facebook? Many of them land those roles they love because they love the companies, what they’re developing, and what they stand for. Just this week, a candidate I’m working with posted on social media about a company he likes. He took a picture of him using the brand and hashtagged the company. He recently landed a role, so he’s no longer actively searching at this precise moment. But the company saw the hashtag and offered him a paid freelance gig. Literally: just.like.that. Think about what you use in your life every day, or the brands you interact with every day. If you like the product so much, you’re likely to enjoy the company culture as well. You’re already a raving fan. This deep like is already natural to you â€" express that. Doing so will definitely move you away from some dry, boring cover letter, to what really excites you about that organization. Expand From “Job Search” To “Company Search”! While those 1,000 people are going for that 1 job ad you saw, I want you to rise above all that. The traditional path goes like this: you apply, hear nothing, and the opportunity is over. But when you expand from “job search” to “company search,” the path is not a quick dead end. Identify the organization’s you’re interested in, then do your research, make yourself into a raving fan, and identify the key decision makers. There is absolutely zero excuse for not connecting with a human being through LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Google+. Many of these social media platforms have little to no barriers to communication. This is not to say you’re going to stalk the decision maker. But use social media channels to make a connection, post a retweet, or comment on a discussion. Keep your name top of mind, showcase your expertise, and all the while, act like a normal human being. When it comes time to send in your resume, that social media connection may just turn out to be a real-world connection. Candidates who go from “job searching” to “job found” quickly do so because they think differently. I’m laying out a game-changing job search strategy that actually works, and showing you real-world examples of exactly how, in our online webinar, “3 Simple Steps To Cut Your Job Search Time In HALF!” Join us to find out the ONLY 3 things the recruiter is thinking when searching for someone like you, and we’re going over the 1 simple change you can make quickly and easily to automatically get in front of more of the right opportunities! Register today.