How Technology Has Changed the Job Search Process | Career Development

For today’s job seeker, the job search process is primarily executed through technology. This creates advantages, and unique challenges as well, that didn’t exist before the internet, social media, and smartphones. Are you making technology work for you during your job search? This article will analyze how to utilize the advantages technology has to offer you while searching for your next job. Our next article in this series will address how to overcome some of the challenges that arise with using technology.

Generally speaking, job searching has been made easier and more efficient thanks to technology. For example, it makes it possible for a job seeker to be more prepared before applying and interviewing for a job. For example, it is a breeze to:

• Research organizations and salary ranges on sites such as Glassdoor.
• Look up information about the hiring manager (on Linkedin or the company website).
• Find examples of resumes and cover letters.

While all of this information is at our fingertips making the research easier, it still takes time to prepare to make these tools work for you. Are you taking full advantage of the technology available to you during your job search? Let’s identify just a few of the many benefits of taking the time to make technology work for your job search.

Thanks to technology, it is easy to create a master copy of your resume on your computer and then adapt it for every job position you apply for. This allows you to tailor your keywords, experience, and other items to each job position, making it more attractive to the hiring manager. To keep your resumes organized, label them by the organizations you are applying at. For example, try something like Resume.Last Name.First Name.Position Title and Organization Name.

Before applying for a job, you can get a general idea about the company online. Look up their website, find their mission statement. Read their tweets on Twitter or posts on Facebook. Find press releases about the organization as well. Ask yourself the following:

• Does it inspire you or make you feel excited at the possibility of working there?
• Have any negative articles been written about them?
• Are they a leader in their industry?
• Are there growth opportunities?

You can find all of this information before you even submit your resume. Does anyone in your network work at the organization? You can conduct an informational interview over the phone or Skype to find out what it’s really like to work there. This saves you the trouble of going in for an interview for a job that you wouldn’t be interested in.

There are other ways to make technology work for you as well. For example, if you are using a website or app to help you find job listings, is your profile filled out correctly and completely? This will help job search sites suggest job listings appropriate to you, instead of having to cull through the listings on your own, saving you time and energy.

Finally, technology can help you organize your search so that it becomes a streamlined, manageable process. To keep track of job openings, networking contacts, and all other things related to your job search, and make your search feel like a well-oiled machine; try our free Job Search Worksheet! Grab your copy today.

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