What is the best way to streamline finding jobs?

We all look for shortcuts. For everything. We look for ways to streamline finding jobs too. Job search is work and unfortunately, many people would like to streamline their job search but is it really possible?

Can you streamline finding jobs?

There are certainly ways to streamline finding jobs from an organizational perspective.

1. Organize your job search tracking system. Tools like JibberJobber make it easy to manage your job search contacts and create your own action plans.
2. You can create a list of target jobs and track them with last contact dates and follow-up dates.
3. You can tell the job search application (Indeed, Simply Hired) that you want to be notified when there is an opening for a new ______ Manager  or ___________ Engineer role.
4. You can set your job search setting in LinkedIn to select jobs that match your geographic, company size, and industry.
5. You can also do many of these things old school with a notebook and pen but technology does really make it easier.
6. You can set alerts to come to your phone, which means that you will know immediately when a good fit comes your way.

Will better organization really streamline finding jobs?

Yes. And no! Unfortunately, it still comes down that job search is hard work. You still have to network and most people struggle with grasping what networking really is and what it isn’t. You have to find those company insiders who can let you know the corporate culture and who the decision-makers ultimately are for the hiring process.

Informational interviewing (meetings with those company insiders) can be very effective to cut through the online mush and find out what it is really like to work at the company.

The people that you meet with for informational interviews may not be the ones who can move your resume through the mess of online applications and internal interview stages but at least you are better informed and can sound articulate in the interview.

The better organized you are and the more resources you use to provide better information make your job search more accurate, but it still may not streamline finding jobs.

But not doing any of the above is almost certain to leave you with a longer search. Implement the best networking, informational interviewing, and job search organization strategies and ask for guidance from people who know the way.

Are you looking for a personalized approach to job search?