Given the number of career sites at your fingertips, it’s never been easier to look for a new job. In addition to applying for roles that are of interest to you, it’s equally as important to post your resume online so hiring companies and recruiters can find you.
Knowing how recruiters use these sites and understanding how to best publicize your skills and knowledge, will greatly increase the odds of getting attention. Here’s what to consider.
Where to post
With the plethora of job and career sites available, where should you post your resume? The answer really depends on how aggressive your job search is. The more active you are, the more places you should consider.
Our advice for active job seekers is to post on as many job boards as possible, including a combination of general career sites like LinkedIn, Monster, CareerBuilder, Indeed, and Zip Recruiter as well as those that are more targeted to your industry or location like State Job Boards or CE Weekly. This is true no matter your level of experience.
While administrators, assistants, and technicians are more likely to be found on Monster and CareerBuilder, it can’t hurt for any level of active job seeker to submit their resume to as many places as possible. If you are concerned with your employer seeing your information online, use the privacy features each board offers.
Before posting
Before jumping in with both feet, there are some resume essentials you should take care of prior to posting:
- Always make sure that your contact information is accurate and current. A misspelling or digit out of order could prevent a recruiter from reaching you.
- If you’re planning to relocate, change your location on your resume and the job sites. You could note the dates you’re planning to move, so recruiters would know where you could potentially be placed. Even though we are still seeing a plethora of remote opportunities, many companies still want to hire local employees.
- If your last job has ended, update your resume to reflect the change. If recruiters are looking for someone who can start immediately, especially for contract positions, they’re unlikely to call if it appears you’re still employed.
- Spellcheck your resume, but also read it carefully – spellcheck doesn’t catch everything.
What to include
In terms of skills, make sure you don’t miss anything that could be relevant. Even if you’ve only had some exposure to a software – let’s say you used SAP for three months – be sure to list it. You don’t have to be an expert in all things; some managers like referred candidates who’ve at least been exposed to the software their company uses.
Remember, too, that recruiters and hiring companies use sophisticated searching techniques that filter for key words, so ensure your resume and profiles include as many as possible when describing your job duties. For example, “Used AutoCAD to create civil engineering drawings.”
It’s incredibly useful for recruiters to know what technologies and skills you used and how you used them. For guidance, look for keywords that are included in resume samples for positions you’re seeking, as well as those highlighted in job descriptions. Some examples may include: SOLIDWORKS, PTC Creo, Microsoft Access, Manufacturing, Project Engineering, and more.
If you’re a more experienced candidate, you can improve your odds with recruiters by having no more than ten years of recent experience on the resume you post. Below where you list your most current work, indicate that additional employment information will be offered by request. Another tip is to broadcast that you’re open to contract work. Employers seeking contractors are more likely to hire experienced candidates. By revealing a bit less about yourself and being job flexible, recruiters are likely to take a look at what you have to offer.
Advice Specific to LinkedIn
Unlike most other career sites, LinkedIn offers many tools to boost your visibility. For example, if you’re even considering a new position, your LinkedIn profile status should always be marked as, Open to Work. Recruiters filter for availability, and can identify you more easily if you appear to be available for employment.
Taking a proactive approach to meeting recruiters on LinkedIn will also benefit you. You can search for “mechanical engineering recruiters,” or by any other specialty. When you find people who meet your criteria, send an invite asking to connect. When they accept your request, send another message thanking them for accepting your invite. Let them know that you’d like them to keep you in mind for job opportunities, and include your resume.
Your LinkedIn timeline is another place to remind recruiters that you’re available. Write a blurb that notes a few details about your job search, and include hashtags for the role or roles that you’re seeking, as well as the skills that are relevant to it. You could also post pertinent articles that relate to your career, your search or your skills, and still include those hashtags.
Remaining current
To remain relevant online, you have to remain current. Recruiters will usually set their search criteria back no more than 30 days. The default setting on most career sites, with the exception of LinkedIn, is 30 days. In order to be seen, you must update your profile or resume in that time frame, or you’ll no longer be searchable to recruiters when they filter for availability. Fortunately, updating your profile is as simple as logging out of the site, and then logging back in. Make sure to schedule some time each month to “update” yourself.
Finally, sign up for daily emails from each site. When you create accounts, you’ll be given an option to receive daily emails that list links to related jobs. Indeed is particularly good at sending information to candidates. When you’re sent a role that’s a good fit, apply and you’ll immediately be in front of the recruiter.
Following these tips and understanding how recruiters use job sites to search for candidates will help increase your visibility and the odds of your resume will be seen by the hiring companies you want.
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