Mastering Job Hunting Strategies for a Competitive Edge

a man and a woman shaking hands in front of a laptop
Photo by Mina Rad on Unsplash

Searching for jobs has never been tougher.

Old habits of mailing out a few resumes and waiting for the call back are no longer effective. The labor market is more competitive than ever. Applying to dozens of postings means little if you don't have a smart strategy.

There's a bright side...

Job hunting strategies and tactics that are out of the ordinary can work tremendously in your favor. When the rest of the competition is scrambling to get noticed, you can stand out with the right tactics.

We'll reveal:

Why Most Job Hunting Is Pointless

The majority of people go about job hunting in the same way:

They update their resume and get onto a job portal and click apply on any postings that sound remotely interesting. Then they wait... for weeks.

This is the reason it rarely works:

The problem is, everyone is doing the same thing. Job boards get swamped with applicants. Hiring managers get inundated with requests. And yours is just one of hundreds competing for that single spot.

Consider these facts:

The average job search takes a staggering 19.3 weeks. That's almost 5 months of tedium, discouragement, and emails with 'no thank you's' written on them. No wonder people dread the process so much.

For those of you who are ready to get out there and apply, you can browse Tucson-based job listings at Afni Careers to find positions in your specific area or field of choice.. But finding a job posting is only the first step of the puzzle. Applying and strategizing wisely is the trick.

Secret of Hidden Job Market

One of the biggest job market secrets most people aren't aware of is that a full 85% of all jobs never get advertised. Instead, they are hired through networking or other passive means.

Mind-blowing, right?

Jobs get filled through employee referrals, personal relationships, and word-of-mouth. By the time it reaches a job portal, that open position may already have someone in mind.

It means that:

The great news is the hidden job market is not an exclusive society you need to know the secret handshake to join. It's accessible to anyone who is willing to change their mindset from reactively applying for jobs to proactively building relationships.

Crafting a Winning Personal Brand

In a nutshell, your personal brand is what others say about you when you are not around.

It is of more importance than you might expect in your career. Recruiters and hiring managers do research on potential hires online long before they reach the interview stage. First impressions matter.

So, what is a good personal brand made of?

Visibility is key. Sharing your insights about your industry and posting about your area of expertise paints you as a thought leader who is worth talking about and hiring. Passive job searching and waiting for recruiters to reach out to you become a thing of the past.

And here's the best part, a personal brand costs you zero money and only requires your time.

Networking Tactics That Lead to Jobs

Networking has gotten a bad rap.

But the real kind that leads to jobs doesn't have anything to do with schmoozing. Networking that helps the way it should is more about building relationships before they're required.

So, how do you begin?

One key point...

Networking doesn't always have to equal hardcopy business cards. Real, authentic networking is about making connections with others that would have you in mind if they happen to hear of a job opportunity. Referrals are 5x more likely to be effective than applications made via job boards.

One coffee meeting with the right person can work more magic for your career than 50 applications online. Quality over quantity is always the most powerful advice when it comes to networking.

Beating the Applicant Tracking System

Few job seekers realize before a resume gets reviewed by a human recruiter or hiring manager, it first has to get through an ATS.

ATS stands for applicant tracking system. They are programs designed to scan resumes and applications for keywords and relevant data before it goes on to the next stage of the hiring process. If your resume doesn't pass the screening, you don't move on.

The statistics don't lie. An estimated 75% of resumes get filtered out by these systems. And don't get me wrong, automation is great and has its place. But that means the majority of applicants are immediately eliminated.

The rules for beating the system include the following:

Tailoring each resume and application for every job can take a bit of work. But it will exponentially increase your odds of getting past the digital barrier and into a human's hands.

The Mental Side of Job Hunting

One topic not discussed nearly enough is the mental side effects job searching and hunting have on people.

The endless cycle of rejections, waiting, not knowing when or if they will hear back, it can all take its toll on even the strongest people. Research suggests that as much as 72% of job seekers report the process having a negative impact on mental well-being.

There's nothing to be ashamed of if you find yourself in this boat. And acknowledging these struggles and talking about them is the most important step.

So, how can you look out for yourself and your mental health?

Job hunting is a marathon. It is not a sprint. Protecting your mental health along the way is not a luxury. It's a necessity for interviewing well and making the best choices.

Bringing It All Together

Getting hired for that perfect job does not occur through blind luck.

Job hunting and applying take a smart strategy of networking with intent, building a personal brand to attract those opportunities to you and being aware of what modern hiring really looks like. The job market favors those who rise to the occasion.

To bring everything we've covered home:

Job hunting success won't happen overnight. But with the strategies in this guide in place, your path towards landing the next awesome opportunity becomes a whole lot clearer. Implement these techniques today and let the results fall in line.