Job Search Strategies

Job Search Strategies

  • Schedule a time each week to job search or work on career goals. 

  • Create job goals and a create weekly objectives to track your work on those goals.    

  • Create a list of your professional accomplishments.  Put all your wins, large and small, on it.  

  • Analysis your skills and identify any skill gaps.  For those gaps, consider taking a class or one of the library resources to address that gap.

  • Polish your online presence and make sure you have a professional email address. Make your social media accounts private and use LinkedIn for your professional networking. Arlington Heights cardholders can make an appointment with our LinkedIn consultant to strengthen your LinkedIn Profile. 

  • Track the companies you’ve applied for through a simple system like this one.

Network

  • Craft a compelling short elevator speech that you can use when you network and during interviews. 

  • Analyze your current contacts and network. Brainstorm your connections using this networking worksheet.

  • Create new connections and network. Look at people in jobs you would like to have and offer to take them out for coffee to learn about their experiences.  

  • Attend industry specific conferences and networking events to create even more connections and to improve your skills and knowledge base. 

Avoiding Scams 

  • The website you are applying at should start with “https” (a lock icon). 
  • Ads and sponsored posts can masquerade as a legitimate job listing. Be careful to not click on the advertisements. 
  • Some sites will try to "spoof" or pretend they are the official corporate website. You will need to examine the website address to make sure you are on the official corporate site. 
  • Beware of ad or job listings that seem too good to be true. They might offer a lot of money or incentives for that role that far beyond what other listings offer.
  • The job ad and requirements are vague and does not provide details of the job duties. 
  • The job ads and emails they send you are full of punctuation and grammatical errors. 
  • Never send sensitive information (like your Social Security number) during the application process.
  • During the application process, the potential employer asks you to send money or buy a specific software.
  • Consult the Federal Trade Commission: Consumer Advice page for more information about job scams and avoiding them. 

Self Care

  • If you can afford to, take a break from searching. Some industries (constructions, education) hire at specific times of the year. Searching before/after those times will not yield many job prospects. 

  • Rely on your own support systems (friends, family, hobbies) to reduce your job search stress.