Your resume is polished. You’ve been networking like mad. Your interview suit is even pressed and ready to go at a moment’s notice. You’re also completely and totally exhausted. The job search is draining, and doing it right feels like a full-time gig. So why not hack your job search with these seven tips?
1. Search Your LinkedIn Connections’ Connections
Seeing who your 1st degree connections are connected to is a hassle, especially if you’re looking for a possible referral. Instead of clicking and scrolling (and scrolling and scrolling), use this free extension for Google Chrome and search those connections instead. Search by company, title, skill, or just about anything else that might appear on their profile.
2. See Who Viewed Your LinkedIn Profile While Remaining Anonymous
One of the most frustrating parts of the LinkedIn experience is the privacy trade-off. If you want to browse profiles anonymously, you don’t get to see who viewed your own profile. Fortunately, there’s a sneaky way around that. Grab the LinkedIn app (if you haven’t already) and follow these instructions, courtesy of FullContact‘s Matt Hubbard:
1. Tap the blue “in” logo on the top left of the app’s home screen. You’ll see a few shortcuts, including Home, your profile, and others.
2. Find and tap the + Add Shortcut option at the bottom of this list.
3. Then select Who’s Viewed Your Profile on LinkedIn.
This enables you to research anonymously but still see who is viewing you – provided that they haven’t gone stealth also.
3. Super-size Your Network
You’re exchanging emails with a hiring manager or potential networking connection. Instead of searching for her on LinkedIn and Twitter (or Facebook, if you want to cross that line), install Rapportive and get all of their networking info at once. This free add-on only works with Gmail, though. Unfortunately, your old Hotmail account isn’t supported.
4. Network More Efficiently
You’ve probably forgotten about most of the people in your LinkedIn network. After all, you can’t be expected to keep up with all of the people you’ve connected with over the years. That’s where Five Hundred Plus comes in. This personal CRM system lets you set communication reminders and view past conversations, all in the name of helping you get actual value out of your network.
5. Update and Send Your Resume from Your Mobile Device
In the job search, you need to be ready to customize and send a clean, polished resume at a moment’s notice. Unfortunately, you won’t always have access to a computer. If opportunity strikes but your resume needs a tweak, turn to Pocket Resume. This app allows you to customize your existing resume from your iPhone or iPad and can be a lifesaver when you’re networking on the go. The resumes it produces aren’t perfect, so it shouldn’t replace the Word .doc or PDF you usually use, but it’s great in a pinch.
6. Learn Who’s Actually Opening Your Emails and Job Applications
One of the worst parts of the job search is not knowing if anyone actually saw the email you sent or the resume you submitted. Avoid this by being a little devious. Email marketing services like MailChimp and Constant Contact can show you who opened your emails, when they opened them, and what links they clicked on. Most of these services offer free trial periods, so you can try this tactic for a few weeks before you have to start paying.
7. Manage Your Applications and Interviews Like a Pro
Keeping track of your applications, interviews, and follow-ups is a full-time job. Ditch the spreadsheet and start using Trello. Beloved by project managers everywhere, Trello is an easy and intuitive workflow tool that can help you stay on top of the job search process. It’s also free.
I purposefully omitted apps that find or aggregate job board listings, like the Indeed or Monster app. I did this for three reasons: 1) there are a billion of them, 2) they generally do the same things that the sites themselves do and therefore don’t provide any stand-alone value, and 3) they don’t work. Well, they work for finding job listings. They just don’t work very well for landing an actual job. As we’ve said before, you’re far more likely to find a job through networking than through a job board.
If you’ve got a killer job search hack, tell us about it @TheHiredGuns or in the comments below.
